Nomad
by disnemily
Summary: In a world where the air benders vanished and war with the Fire Nation never reared it ugly head, the Avatar struggles to find his place in the world. But, even when he thinks he's found it, he uncovers a plot that is about to throw the whole world out of balance.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello my darlings! Some of you may recognize this from a previous story of mine and, yes, I am rewriting one of my older stories. **

**For those of you who don't know, this is an AU in which the Hundred Year War did not happen, however the events leading up to it did. As such, things are going to be very different, as you will see in later chapters. **

**I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Some nights it still kept me up, worrying about the future of my culture. Sure, there were the Air Acolytes but they weren't airbenders, they simply donned the garb and tried to live as closely to the culture as they could, they'd never be able to live at the temples as I once did. As my people once did. Until Firelord Sozin did away with them in an attempt to do away with me.

I often find myself wishing I hadn't been born, or that air nomads weren't the next in the cycle but I always catch myself and scold my thoughts. He would have gone after the water tribes or the Earth Kingdom if the Avatar had been of those nationalities and their fate would have been the same as my brothers and sisters. Even worse, that Avatar likely wouldn't have survived. My situation was unique and led to my preservation for an entire century. To the world, I was dead for one hundred years, one hundred years for tension to brew and anger to rise. They were ready for an all-out war when I'd been woken up by the Southern Water Tribe boy and girl, a war I was shocked to find hadn't happened yet.

Evidently, the Earth Kingdom and water tribes managed to ally themselves just in time to prevent invasions of either land and continued to ward off Firelord Sozin, but when Sozin died and Azulon took the throne, the pressure intensified and small skirmishes broke out, but still, war remained at bay. When Ozai took the throne, there were times of peace as the Fire Nation adjusted to its new leader and, thankfully, Ozai never had the opportunity to fulfill the full frontal attack on the water tribe that he'd planned, as I was broken out of the ice burg a few years later and left to fix this mess as soon as I could, leaving on Appa and gathering world leaders to convene on Kioshi Island and discuss matters.

In the end, it was decided to make both Iroh and Ozai Firelord over the Fire Nation. Ozai could keep his title but all counsel had to go through his brother, certainly a more peaceful man. The Fire Nation would also be responsible for the reconstruction of villages desecrated by their attacks, though they were permitted to seek aid from the other nations. The Earth Kingdom, which had been lying to its people about the war was instructed to keep an open book policy with its people, and a team of ambassadors from each nation was to remain in Ba Sing Se to insure this. The Water Nation was instructed to simply help wherever they could—a lot of which mainly consisted of helping each other. The Southern Tribe had sacrificed a lot to help keep the threat at bay, leaving it vulnerable to occasional raids—none very serious—but lives were still lost and homes were ruined. As were families.

In my brief time with the Southern Tribe, I'd befriended two siblings that were without a mother, perished in one of the raids, and a father that was out at sea, helping to fight the threats plaguing the world. They'd fed me and took care of me while I stayed with them, recovering from my time in the ice. I'd repaid their hospitality by leaving them behind. Katara, the sister, was eager to come with me on my journey but I was determined to keep her from harm's way. She was barely a beginner with her waterbending and I couldn't be worrying about her if worse came to worse. Sokka was the same, he had heart but he didn't have experience, and I wasn't willing to risk him either.

But, oddly, I missed them. It'd been a near decade since I'd seen them, as I've been touring the nations, learning the elements as I went and checking to make sure they held up their end of the bargain. So far, nothing appeared to have changed for the worse. The Fire Nation had improved, in fact, and much of my time was spent in the palace, training with Prince Zuko and Princess Azula. The three of use sparred frequently, but in the time I was there, Zuko's interests had shifted to Mai, the daughter of a noble man, and Azula's had also shifted elsewhere, and away from me, to a young woman named Ty Lee. Whether or not that attention was romantic, I never asked.

After two years spent in the Fire Nation, and my mastering of the elements complete, I was finally returning to where I was found ten years ago, eager to see Katara and Sokka again. Though, I as promised, I'd made a stop on an island a little out of the way, but I figured getting this trip out of the way may have been better than having a trail of letters follow me south.

The thing was, my trip was very much finished but one young woman refused to let me go.

"Aang," her voice whined and I resisted the grimace that yearned to show. "Have you been listening to anything I've been saying?" her hands rested on her hips, her torso leaning toward me and I reflexively leaned back. Coco was lovely, but most the time I had a hard time keeping my head around her. Her antics were charming at first, but one could only hear about how wonderful he was before he got tired of it.

"Sorry, Coco," I apologized with my hand rubbing the back of my neck. "But I really have to go if I want to make it to the Southern Water Tribe before dark."

She pouted and puckered her lips, leaving me with a surprised expression and my cheeks tinting pink, I was sure. I leaned forward slightly pecking her cheek before leaping up into the air, landing on Appa's head, taking his reins into my hands. "Ready, boy?" I asked loudly, ignoring Coco's crocodile tears and focusing on my bison's grunt of agreement, even he was bored of that lengthy farewell. "Yip yip!" I called and with one glorious push off, we were in the air, and Coco was behind us, calling for me to write her as soon as I could.

I probably wouldn't.

Ten years ago, when I awoke from the ice burg, I was presented with a face that had been imprinted in my mind and a laugh that I could soon not forget. I wrote back to her and Sokka as often as I could and was always eager to hear from the both, though I yearned for her letters more than his. I wouldn't say I was in love with Katara but every woman I met was easily compared to her and not a day went by that I didn't think of her. Certainly that meant something.

As the journey went on, I found myself resting in Appa's saddle and soon rummaging through my pack for warmer clothing as we neared our destination. As a form of respect for each culture, I donned their nation's colors, though I always wore mine underneath. I slipped the parka and pants over my own clothing and pulled on the boots, removing my shoes as I did, already I could feel my toes going numb.

A grunt from Appa brought me back to my usual seat, the Southern Tribe—now city, by the looks of it, was in view and even from this distance I thought I could hear the roaring of city life, it was very different from when I was last here and it looked much like the Northern City. A frown creased my lips; this wasn't part of the agreement. But, if I thought it to be an issue I would discuss the issue further with the chief, Hakoda.

"Alright, boy! Let's land at the docks, they're expecting us there." With a grunt, Appa sailed downward at an alarming speed, just as eager to see our old friends as I was. Still, he landed gracefully and I jumped down, quickly pulling my hood up, shielding my bald head from the chill. Almost instantly, however, it was knocked off by a woman who had rushed forward to greet me, I'd have fallen if Appa weren't behind me. "Oof," I grunted, suddenly gasping for air.

"Katara," a voice warned and the woman stepped back from the embrace, her cheeks flushing slightly as she looked back to her father and (practically) uncle, along with another man I didn't recognize.

"It's good to see you, Aang," she said, reclaiming her modest posture, though there was a glint of mischief in her eyes that was ever so teasing and daunting. She stepped back from me, joining her parents and the other man, who now stepped forward to introduce himself.

"I am Hahn," he bowed, his hands meeting in front of his chest as he dipped and I returned to formality. "Representative from the Northern Water Tribe, here on my chief's behalf."

"It is an honor to meet you," I replied, making my own introductions. I bowed to Chief Hakoda and Bato, paying my respects to both leaders. I soon found my hand in the firm grasp of the chief's, his smile wide as he clapped my shoulder.

"Welcome back, Aang, it has been too long," he sounded pleasant but his eyes gave him away. He looked weary, and his body language suggested he didn't like having Hahn there. Before I could even contemplate saying anything, Katara stepped forward.

"We've constructed a barn for your bison, Avatar, and it's not far from where you will be staying. Both of you should remain fairly comfortable in this weather."

"Thank you," I replied, burying a gloved hand in Appa's fur. "You hear that boy?" He groaned in response, tossing a lazy glance in the direction of Katara before going back to the barrel of hay that had been placed before him just after we had landed.

"Come, Aang," Hakoda finally said, "We have much to discuss."

* * *

Soon after, we were seated in an enclosed room, Hahn, Bato, and Katara were elsewhere, tending to other tribal matters while Hakoda sat across from me, his face serious and concerned. Silence ensued, neither of us sure what to say.

"It looks different," I finally said. "When I was here before, it was just little huts that barely stood off the ground. Now it's—"

"—A city," Hakoda finished for me, his expression was still grim. "The south has never been very big on architecture. Our goal was survival, we don't have the defensive advantage that our sister tribe has in the north. But, when they came to our aid, they sent waterbenders meant to change that. Now we look almost exactly like her. Their city layout is ingenious and effective but the south is losing what it means to be from the south."

My forehead creased as I frowned, leaning back in my chair. This was a problem I was not prepared for.

"Frankly, Avatar Aang, I wish you had come to our aid, sooner. Arnook has forced my hand in binding the tribes together, which I wouldn't mind so much if I felt like I had a choice."

"What?" I gasped, suddenly realizing that Sokka hadn't been with the welcoming party. "Where's Sokka?"

The frown on Hakoda's face deepened. "He's in the North, with Princess Yue. They're to be married within the month."

"You agreed to that?"

"Sokka loved Yue," the chief explained, "and I am happy for him. But we both knew that we needed information on what is happening in the Northern Water Tribe and Sokka agreed to serve as our eyes and ears. Though, I believe Arnook suspected Sokka's motives."

"Hahn." That explained his presence here, and his greeting me.

He nodded grimly, standing to pace to the room as he spoke. "Arnook has proposed that we further cement the tribes together and become one nation, with the marriage of Sokka and Yue as well as Hahn and Katara," his tone turned sour, as if there was a rotten taste in his mouth.

I blinked several times, gathering my thoughts as best I could. Hahn and Katara? "H-how does Katara feel about that idea?"

Hakoda turned to me, his eyes sad. "They're already betrothed, Aang. Hahn gave Katara a betrothal necklace when she visited Sokka in the North several months ago. When she returned, Hahn was with her."

"Marrying someone from the North?" I exhaled loudly, rubbing my hands over my face. "How can she do that? The northern tribe doesn't allow women to bend!"

His eyes grew sadder and I stood, leaning over the table, already anticipating what he was going to say. "She can't bend. She never learned any bending other than northern healing techniques. Hahn insists she shouldn't and I think she's heard it so many times that she's started to believe it."

The air grew heavy as I absorbed this information. I'd always assumed Katara would have found herself a teacher since she'd been so adamant in learning when I had met her. I didn't think about anything that could have happened while I was gone, I was too focused on saving the world to think about any of these possibilities.

"I should have taken her with me," I whispered softly and Hakoda shook his head.

"This is hardly your fault, Avatar. You were only a boy and already had enough on your shoulders. Katara would have only been a burden."

"No," I insist softly, "she wouldn't have." A sigh escapes as I fall back into my seat, consumed by this dreadful feeling growing inside me.

Just then, the door flew open and Hahn stepped in, Bato, Hakoda's right hand man, behind him. "Sir, the hunting party is gathering for our last trip before the storm set in. We're waiting on you."

"Thank you, Hahn, Bato," he nodded. "We'll continue this at another time, Avatar."

"Yes," my eyes slipped to Hahn, "we will."

* * *

Hours later, I'd managed to find my way to the barn Appa was being housed in. It was expansive, with a loft built into it that held a little area for me to relax in. There was a trough in the ground, water somehow being pumped through it—likely through the canals that now ran through the city. The tribe had even been kind enough to provide Appa with toys, should he ever find the desire to use them. For some reason, I didn't think he would.

Resting on his back while he napped, I thought about the last ten years, the friends I had made like Zuko, Azula, Toph…all without Sokka and Katara. It felt wrong, almost, leaving them behind. I wondered what would have happened if I had brought them. Would Katara have learned to water bend? Would Sokka be stuck in the Northern Water Tribe serving as a spy? If not, would someone else have taken his place? I didn't know these answers and I desperately wished I could turn back time and get them.

But the question that haunted me most of all was this: would Katara and I be together if I had brought her?

My insides screamed that yes, yes we would be together and we would already be married by now, likely with a kid on the way.

I was pulled by my thoughts, however, when the door to the barn opened and closed rather quickly and the sound of footsteps echoed in the room. I didn't move, however, listening intently to the person's movement, curious as to their purpose.

"Should we put it in the water trough?" a voice whispered, the other quickly shut him down.

"No, we drink that water, if we put it in there we might get sick—or worse."

"Then in the hay bale?"

There wasn't a response but I could hear them moving. I flipped onto my stomach, inching forward to see two men, one of them caring a rather large and suspicious looking vial, inching toward Appa's food source. I debated, briefly, how to fend them off, Appa hated fire and water was likely their element. Earth was hardly an option. Looked like it was going to be air. Besides, I needed that vial.

I threw a gust of wind at them, startling the jittery one that had been holding the vial, sweeping the thing to me before landing between them and the hay bale. A jet of water fired in my direction and I rolled away as it splashed beside me, leaving me behind Appa's paw and by the time I'd leaped to my feet, they were gone.

Uncapping the vial and lifting it in front of my nose, I waved my hand above the opening, pushing its scent toward me.

White Jade.

Someone had just tried to poison Appa.

* * *

**THINGS TO NOTE: Sangok's role has been changed to Hahn's role. I just liked that better. **

**Reviews are what keep writers writing! Let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! Thank you for the lovely reviews on the first chapter! I have been working hard this last week on this chapter and I hope you enjoy it! It gave some struggle but I think I like the overall outcome. **

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"Aang, I assure you, we're doing the best we can to keep Appa safe," the chieftain's voice tried to remain calm, but at this late hour, even I could detect his annoyance. I did wake him when he had only a few hours until he departed on his hunting trip but I was too furious to care. "Guards were supposed to be posted outside his barn."

"Well they weren't!" I cried, I hardly even recalled seeing them at their posts. "That or they conveniently looked the other way! They had White Jade, Hakoda. That could have killed him if he'd eaten it. I thought this place was supposed to be safe for him."

He sighed, looking at me with tired eyes as he shook his head. "It'll be investigated further in the morning, Aang. For now, you should be with Appa, to make sure no one else tries to hurt him."

Somehow, despite the anger that blinded me, I listened to this statement and retreated back to the barn they had constructed just outside the chief's home—also my current lodgings. When I walked it, however, I was greeted with a rather pleasant surprise.

"Katara," I breathed, feeling like the wind had been knocked out of me. The dull glow from the lanterns illuminated her face as she turned toward me.

She smiled softly, her lips parting to speak. "I heard you and my father talking. I thought I'd check on Appa myself. He seems in good health, Aang. Whoever tried to hurt him…I'm sure he'll be caught."

I wished I believed those worse.

I cleared my throat, still recovering from the shock of seeing her here. "I—ah—thanks. It looks like he missed you," I pointed out, gesturing to Appa's apparent nuzzling of Katara's hand.

The gentle smile she had before widened and I can feel my stomach flip at the sight. "I missed him, too," she replies, though her gaze is on me and not Appa.

I swallowed nervously and moved to her side, my hand disappearing into Appa's fur—my excuse to be near her. "I missed you, too," I said softly, my gaze very slowly lifting to hers. He cheeks flushed slightly but she shook her head. "Katara, I—"

"No, Aang," she breathed, shaking her head and taking a step back. "Things have changed since my last letter. I can't—"

"Your father told me about Hahn," I interrupted, waking away from her to grab a brush from along the wall, tossing the other to her. She caught it deftly in her left hand, her face masked by her hair, but, with her heavier clothing gone, I could still see the betrothal necklace reflecting in the lamplight. It was as if it was mocking me.

She let out a sigh, moving the brush along Appa's fur. "Yes, I am engaged to Hahn," she finally admitted. There was something different about her voice, something I couldn't quite pinpoint. Was it regret? "It happened some months ago. We received a distressing message from Sokka and Dad sent me to check on him. He was perfectly all right when I arrived but he was furious to see me of all people. He didn't want me anywhere near the situation. Neither did Dad, but I was too stubborn for him to deny."

I smirked at that. If there was anything I'd learned in my short time here ten years ago it was that Katara was very strong willed. It drove Sokka insane but I had found it charming. In this situation, however, I was wary of it. "What happened after that?"

Katara sighed, closing her eyes for a moment as she brushed her hair from her face. "Lots of things, Aang. Hahn sought me out the second day I was there, intent of giving me a tour of the city. We spent a lot of time together at first until Sokka started dragging me away from him, telling me what he had so far uncovered. Hahn is fairly close to Arnook, practically a son to him and he's very up to date on what is happening within the Northern Tribe; that much we knew. But Sokka had, with Yue's help, recently discovered documents that discussed plans for the south. It involved Hahn's betrothal to me." She took a deep breath, as if gathering her courage.

"What?" I snapped to attention, my eyes bugging out as my temper flared, quickly calmed by air nomad in me, soothing words enveloping my mind. "Why?" I asked in a calmer voice and she shook her head.

"They wish to bind the tribes into one nation," she stated simply. "I chose to go along with it, but the truth is, Hahn's presence grew on me. It was nice, having attention from someone who wasn't practically drooling into my lap or—" she glanced my way and, once again, my heart sank, "or too busy saving the world to have time for you."

The pain and betrayal in her voice hit me like a ton of bricks, eating away at my chest while my hand dropped from Appa's side and I let out a drawn out sigh as I struggled to find the words. What excuse did I have? In the time since the grand council met all those years ago, I had spent plenty of time in each nation and had more than enough time to return to the South, at least to say hello.

But each time I entertained that idea, something warded me away. Perhaps it was the guilt I felt for leaving her and Sokka behind, a guilt I was now being forced to face.

"Katara…"

"Why couldn't we come with you?" Her voice is soft, riddled with hurt that makes my chest ache.

I closed my eyes, not knowing the exact answer. I had ten years to figure that out but I was still as lost to the reason as she was.

When the Southern Warriors had returned and found me, they were insistent that I leave with them in a matter of days, explaining the current state of nation relations and the dire need of reformation. I didn't have time to think before I was swept up into their politics, traveling from nation to nation before we convened on Kioshi Island for our meeting, a remotely neutral place that was the only location each nation would agree to. I'd traveled beside Hakoda and he was rather firm that his children stayed out of the war and who was I to disagree? I'd spent a lot of time with the pair while I'd recovered from the iceberg and while I didn't want to leave them, that wasn't my choice to make.

"You know why," I offered, hardly believing those words. I could have convinced Hakoda otherwise, I was sure. But part of me never wanted to. I didn't want to see Katara hurt.

"No. I know why my father wouldn't let me go. I don't know why you didn't tell him to let me go with you," she snapped, her voice taking an accusatory tone. I didn't flinch but the urge was there. Her words stung more than they should have.

"Your father's reasons were just and reasonable. It wasn't my place to argue with his decisions."

The water in the trough rippled, churning slowly as I watched Katara's face contort in what looked to be mild frustration. "Aang," she sighed irritably.

"What do you want me to say, Katara?"

"I don't know, maybe the truth? If you didn't want me around, Aang, you can just say so."

I blinked for several moments, my brow knitted together as I shook my head. How could she even think that? "That wouldn't be the truth, though. Katara, you act like I had a choice in leaving you behind. I'd only been out of the iceberg for a few weeks when your father came and took me away and he'd explicitly said you were not to come. I was twelve years old and I'd just found out the last time I didn't listen my people _died. _How could you have expected me to refute Hakoda's wishes when, if I'd just listened to the wishes of the monks, my people would still be thriving?"

A dissatisfied sigh escaped her lips and she set the brush back in its place, the water behind her settling slightly, though the shadow over her brow still suggested frustration. I couldn't blame her for that. I was frustrated by my absence, too. Especially if my presence could have prevented her relationship with Hahn. "I'm sorry," she finally relented, the anger fading from her. Her shoulders relaxed and posture straightened, looking as if a weight had been lifted off of her. "I've spent ten years wondering, Aang. I know our letters should have sufficed but—"

"—they didn't," I supplied for her. "I missed you every day, Katara. I'm sorry we didn't have time together in the years in between and I know the little communication we had was hardly enough for either of us but," I paused, the words sticking on my tongue before they finally came tumbling out, "La, you could have at least told me about Hahn!"

She stiffened, her back ridged as a post as she turned to face me. "And why would I have done that?"

I inhaled slowly, doing my very best not to lose my temper despite knowing it was a losing battle, as the irritation in my voice was clear as day. "Because, maybe, I wasn't coming here for the sake of checking on South Pole. Maybe I was coming here to see you. You couldn't wait that long?"

She pursed her lips, her arms crossing over her chest and her hip jutting out defiantly, just as stubborn as the first time I'd met her, it seemed. "_Waited_?" she seethed, advancing a few steps and I hastily took a few steps back, the look on her face seeming rather terrifying. "What do you think I have been doing the last ten years, Aang? I've been hoping you would come back for me now that the world was finally at peace. But no! You had to go learn the elements! I had hoped you would come here for your waterbending but you were in the North for that. Then I heard you were in the Earth Kingdom learning from some fancy teacher alongside some blind child—"

"Toph was—"

"—I don't care. Then you were in the Fire Nation for even longer than you were in either of the other places combined! What was so important there that you had to stick around, huh? Rumors were flying everywhere about the Fire Nation Princess and the Avatar and how in love they were. By that time your letters were so few in number, I didn't know what to believe!"

"Azula and I—"

"So I stopped waiting, Aang, and I started living. That might have gotten me into this mess with Hahn but, so far, he has a better track record of being there for me than you do."

My protests fell on deaf ears, it seemed. But, she was right. I had ignored her all this time because of the duties that had weighed down on me, but there were plenty of times I could have spared for a visit. However, she could have done the same. "I wrote you every time I left a place and told you where I was going and how long I would be there. You could have come to me, too."

She shook her head, her hands moving from being wrapped on around her waist and pressed gently to her temples. "Aang, don't you understand? In leaving me behind I convinced myself that I was only a burden to you. Why would I seek you out if I believed I would only cause you distress?"

While she had a point, I still didn't understand how she could think such things. Suddenly tired and weary, I simply shook my head. "I'm sorry, Katara," I finally said, slumping into Appa, slowly lifting my eyes to hers, wishing that I hadn't when I saw the water rimming them. She quickly wiped the evidence away and turned on her heel, wishing me goodnight and was gone, too embarrassed by her emotions to remain with me.

There was a lot brought to light in that conversation but one thing stuck with me more than everything else: did Katara love Hahn? She'd referenced enjoying his company several times but she never once made any admission to her feelings for him.

Part of me was insistent that I not interfere with them while the other part, the part molded by the Fire Prince, Zuko, was very convincing in its argument to banish the honor code and go after her. My internal debate raged on until sleep finally took me, nuzzled up against Appa, his limbs and fur keeping me warm.

* * *

Word of Appa's attack spread across the city the next day. By the time I woke, the guards outside his stable had doubled and people had been leaving mementos like food and lit candles at the base of stable, the flames quickly snuffed out by the wind assaulting the city. I frowned at the chill, turning back to Appa and patting his nose. "You ready, boy?"

From the air, Appa and I took a tour of the newly reformed Southern Water Tribe. I'd been left with slight impressions earlier, noticing Northern architectural work and a dramatic Northern influence. But up in the sky, I could see just how much the South had changed. They were no longer a little village decimated by the raids they'd encountered but now a thriving city of ice that did differ in structure from their sister.

Canals looked to separate each district, the one closest to the water looked to be a trade district, market carts and shops littered the streets while people moved between them, haggling and bartering for goods. Behind that were an array of inns and restaurants that varied in structure, none appeared to be entirely make of ice which made sense. Not all travelers enjoyed the ice fortitudes.

Beyond that, separated by a canal and linked with three bridges was a residential area. The homes were elegant but simple looking, varying in sizes, likely depending on the size of the family. Most in the South were quite large as multiple generations often lived in one home but there were some that strayed from this tradition and moved to live on their own.

In the center of the city was the chief's home, currently belonging to Hakoda. It was large enough to house not only his family, but that of any visitors as well. It also held a banquet room and a ceremonial hall for rituals such as marriage or coming of age. It was fairly elaborate and massive; it had to be as it was also the fortress used if the city ever came under attack.

The districted behind Hakoda's home trickled off into various agriculture settings, mostly ranged animals that were few in number as a large part of what fed the tribe was hunted.

My brow creased, remembering Hahn's interruption last night. He'd mentioned a hunting party departing in the next few days but the storm on the horizon had me worried. I said as much when I spoke to him later that day, Appa long gone on his own adventure for the day while I was seated in his dining room a cup of tea that sorely needed Iroh's touch sitting before me.

"I understand your concerns, Aang, but if we don't go on this trip my people may face starvation. Winter is coming and we need to stock up on what we can for the time being. I already have a team out at sea fishing for what we need but now it is time for us to see what we can find beyond the city."

"Then let me go with you, I can hel—"

"No," came his very quick reply. He lowered his voice, leaning forward slightly, "I need you here, Avatar. Something isn't sitting right with me and I don't think I can trust Hahn to keep the tribe's best interest in mind while I'm away. I need you to watch over him on my behalf."

My eyes narrowed slightly, a brow arching. "Last night I was left with the impression he was going with you."

The chief sighed, looking weary as he rubbed his eyes and shook his head. "We were meant to leave last night but something delayed us and Hahn insisted we leave in the morning. He came in at dawn to inform me that he wouldn't be going with the hunting party and insisted two others take his place. Both were waterbenders and he thought they would be better suited."

Heat burned in my chest and I stood, my eyes blazing as heat radiated through my body, flashes of anger demanding to be felt as I struggled to keep them in check. "Two waterbenders?" I ask, looking at Hakoda. "He conveniently demanded you wait one more night and then brought in two waterbenders directly after Appa's attack?"

"I am aware of how it looks, Aang. I have no doubt that these two were the perpetrators and I have them right where I want them. I will have Bato and other southern tribesmen—some of which are benders—with me and we can corner them into talking. I can't do that with Hahn—he's too elusive."

I gave a curt nod, recognizing this as a needed action but it still didn't sit well with me. "When do you leave?"

"Within the hour."

* * *

That evening, with the hunting party gone and Hahn the standing chief, the entire demeanor of the city changed, piquing my interests. As Hakoda and his team left, members slowly disappeared off the streets, the market place quickly pack up, despite it being fairly early in the day. At first I attributed this to Hahn's leadership but then the walls around the city began to rise, blocking off the docks until they met at the top, creating a dome over the city, with little slits in it to serve as windows. My gaze was one of awe, but I couldn't quite place its purpose.

"It's because of the storm," someone beside me supplied. I turned to find Hahn standing there, his gaze set upon me with an eerie calm. "Wind speeds have been picking up all day and the tribe elders have predicted the storm to be a brutal one."

I scoffed. "And they still sent out the hunting party?"

"They've hunted in worse conditions, Avatar. The needs of the tribe are too great to wait through this storm, it could last weeks and then where would we be?"

I conceded his point but still frowned at the confined space. Appa wouldn't like it and, frankly, neither did I.

"How fairs your bison, Avatar?" Hahn asked as Appa's horns peaked over a structure not far from us his gaze was set upon him, eyes curious.

"Well," I replied with some distrust. "He doesn't like the cold air here but he manages."

Hahn nodded, his eyes looked calculative and it made my spine go ridged, I didn't like how he looked at Appa like a piece of meat. "I heard about this attempted attack, it's unfortunate that someone would want to hurt such a magnificent creature. Especially when it's the last of its kind."

I didn't say anything, my gaze remaining on Appa as he came down beside me.

"Do you know who did it?" Hahn inquired, I silently wondered if he was nervous.

Doing my best not to smirk, I nodded slowly. "I know they were two waterbenders. It's strange, the hunting party departure was delayed and then two waterbenders suddenly join the party at your request. I wonder if we'll ever be seeing them again."

His eyes narrowed, boring into me like a badgermole boring into the earth. "Watch your tone, Avatar," he seethed and I chuckled.

"Watch your back, Hahn," I retaliate, pushing off the ground and on to Appa. "If anything happens to Appa, Hakoda, or Katara you won't be safe anywhere, not even in the North. Yip yip!"

And I left him behind, standing there with rage consuming his face. Part of me felt guilty for my aggressive comments but another part of me felt very satisfied.

* * *

**And that's that! Remember darlings, reviews are what keep a writer going! Feedback is to writers what cookies are to milk!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello again! School is finally done and over with and I had a huge urge to sit down and write! I hope you enjoy the latest chapter!**

**The characters of ATLA are in no way mine :)**

* * *

Three days had passed and the storm had showed little sign of letting up. Hakoda and his men were still out there in the storm and the rest of the tribe was getting anxious. I could hardly blame them. Being trapped in this fortress, while lifesaving, was maddening. There was hardly any sunlight to be enjoyed and all light was given off by torches that were lit sparingly. The south was in conservation mode until the hunting party returned with more food.

Meanwhile, Hahn was enjoying his unsupervised time. Though he and Katara remained separated for much of this time, he was unashamed of his meeting with other northern members. Those that I eavesdropped on seemed innocent enough but they were likely speaking in code. Still, they kept away from Appa and that was enough to keep me somewhat content—content enough that I didn't follow Hahn everywhere he went, just some of the places.

Though it was frequent enough that Katara confronted me with her folded arms, jutted hip, and pout that sent my heart into summersaults.

"Aang, what has Hahn done to you to make you dislike him so much?"

And then it screeched to a halt. Lie.

"I don't dislike him, Katara," I insisted.

She arched her brow, silently calling me out.

"I don't trust him, okay?"

"You don't even know him!"

I sighed, massaging my temples as I contemplated my next move. We were out in the open and while the market may have been closed, people still wandered the streets and I didn't trust that our words wouldn't be overheard. "You're right, I don't," I replied delicately, the words feeling vile as they left my tongue. I didn't want to know him. If anything, I wanted to know if Sokka trusted him about as much as I did.

She hesitated, caught off guard at my surrender. She did, after all, come here looking to pick a fight and who better than me? She had to live with everyone else in the tribe but I was temporary. If I left her life would go on, she wouldn't have to duck corners to avoid me, unlike her tribesmen. She bit down on her lower lip and I shook my head.

"Your dad has been gone too long," I said, figuring I might as well throw her a bone. That was probably why she was picking a fight in the first place.

With that, Katara collapsed onto the railing of the bridge, looking down in the flowing water below. "We don't normally abandon our hunting parties like this. By now a search party of benders would have been sent out but Hahn is blocking that action."

I bit down the retort that rose in my throat. Of course he is. "Why is he doing that?"

"He says we can't afford to send out any more people. We need benders to defend and to man the walls. If the storm ends someone needs to take down the dome."

I nod, looking up at the ice structure that sheltered us. As massive and amazing as it was, it was a bit ridiculous but I suppose it kept them sheltered from the elements. "It's been three days. If they haven't found shelter they're probably dying an—"

"Aang!"

"Let me finish!" She frowns but, thankfully, doesn't protest. "If that is the case, someone needs to go after them."

Her eyes bore into me, looking hopeful. "Are you going to?"

Was I? I had been heavily considering it but I wanted to meditate on it first. Roku might be able to offer insight on their status and that was what I wanted to know above all. Going out in this storm was risky enough, it had to be worth it. "I hope to," was all I said in reply.

She nodded slowly and started to turn. "Let me know, Aang. Something doesn't feel right." With that send off, she walked away.

Something doesn't feel right. Well, with Hahn for a betrothed I'm sure nothing ever felt right.

* * *

That afternoon I sat in my home with my legs crossed and my hands resting in my lap. My breathing slowed until I faded from my body and took my first few steps into the spirit world.

"Avatar Roku?" I called, only to be greeted by silence. I frowned, looking around for any sign of him but found none.

Until Fang, Roku's spirit guide, poked his head through the door and silently pressed a whisker to my forehead.

Suddenly I was transported from the city to a cave several miles east of here where the hunting party had taken shelter, amongst them was Hakoda, lain out over the pelts resting closest to the fire while Bato sat beside him, watching the two last minute additions carefully. The rest of the party remained between their chief and Hahn's men. They didn't trust them either. Good.

"He won't make it much longer if this storm doesn't let up."

"We should have brought a healer."

And then I was back in the real world, Fang had released me, knowing that I'd seen all I needed to see.

Alright, Hahn. Let's see how much of a bad guy you really are.

* * *

It was probably a bad idea but my proposal to Hahn involved me leaving that very night and he was eager, very eager to be rid of me. When I'd asked for reinforcements his retort was that they would slow me down which may be true but being the avatar did not make me invincible. He refused to budge, however, and that left me with either going myself or going with Appa and I wouldn't dare risk Appa's safety in this storm.

But I didn't think he was safe here either.

But, if Hakoda's life was in danger, it was a risk I had to take. I didn't think Hahn was stupid enough to try to attack him a second time—the whole city was still searching for the perpetrator.

The provisions I brought with me were limited, mostly some dried food and bandages that I hoped would help Hakoda. My time in the north hadn't yielded much in the way of healing, the masters deemed I didn't have a talent for it and kept it limited. Though I knew a rather skilled healer, I had no intention of asking her to join me in a blizzard I only vaguely knew the way through.

Though it would seem I had no choice.

"I'm coming with you."

I jumped, landing lightly on my feet with my staff at the ready, only to find Katara blinking at me, ready to go with a pack on her back and looking extra bundled.

My lips formed a frown and I shook my head. "I can't ask you to do that, Katara, it's too dangerous."

"My father is out there, Aang. I don't care about the danger. You told Hahn you need a healer and he said he couldn't spare any. Well, now you've got me. Let's go." She turned toward the door.

"Does Hahn know you left?" left my lips before I even had the chance to think it over.

She paused in the frame briefly, tossing a "No," over her shoulder and pushing out into the street.

I should have been ashamed of the glee that little syllable caused me but I wasn't. Perhaps his worry over his missing betrothed would keep him too busy to plan another attempt on Appa's life. Hopefully.

We stopped by Appa's barn before departing saying out farewells. I promised him I'd return soon and I checked in with a few of his guards. I'd become friends with a few of them and I hoped their allegiance rested with Hakoda and not Hahn. Someone needed to keep an eye on him.

Then, with no send off, Katara and I snuck away into the storm.

The wind had died down within an hour into our trek but fire still radiated from my palm and Katara stayed close, savoring its warmth. It looked as if we were catching the tail end of the storm, the snow lightened up. Tui and La had blessed us, it seemed. I was thankful for that. This was going to be hard enough as it was.

We made small talk as we walked, she told me little things about growing up in the village as it grew into the city and I told her a little about the fire nation, about Zuko and Azula. Siblings that were so complete opposites it was hard to remember that they were related. I emphasized that Azula's fierce nature kept me far away from her in a romantic sense, though it didn't ward off any of the fire nation men that looked her way. She laughed at that. I liked her laugh.

But soon the sky went completely dark and we had no choice but to set up camp for the night.

Our shelter was formed out of the ice at our feet and our warmth was found in the little fire I made and the sleeping bags Katara had the forethought to pack with us, I made her set hers up on the sled, figuring it would keep her just a bit warmer. In the meantime, we chewed on strips of the dried meat and sea prunes (which were gross but I hardly had any other option) while bundled in our bedding, neither of us could sleep. At least I had fire breath to keep me warm and Katara was accustom to this chill. At least I assumed so.

"Aang?" she called out softly.

"Hm?"

She was silent for several heartbeats before she finally spoke. "Staying close to Hahn is the best way to find out what he's up to."

I let out a deep breath. "I know."

"Dad and Sokka don't," her voice didn't sound angry. It sounded hurt. "Their fear for me makes them blind. In the North I did grow to respect Hahn; he's powerful and very intelligent but Sokka's warning was an opportunity. Hahn trusts me. He trusts that I love him enough to do anything for him. Dad and Sokka assume the same. I'm just a little girl with a love sick heart."

"Are you?" I asked, my heart pounding in my chest.

"No," it was barley a whisper.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

She sat up, her hair falling over her shoulders as she looked at me from across the fire. "There are ears everywhere in the city. The north has been there so long that many of the southern people have begun to blend in with them. Sometimes I catch myself wondering why the joining of the tribes would be such a bad thing."

Despite the fact that my heart was lodged in my throat, I spoke. "Balance. Like Tui and La the Northern and the Southern Water Tribes serve to balance each other out. If one chose to conquer the other the results could be disastrous. The Tribes would lose their balance, people resisting the split would rise up and you would break out into civil war. Other nations would seek to aid you and from there another war could and likely would begin."

The corner of her mouth lifted slightly and she nodded. "I know. Hahn and Arnook think that the water tribes have been out of balance since their separation and seek to restore it. But, I think the Avatar would know more about balance than Arnook."

It all came down to a difference of opinions. It sounded simple enough but I knew it was going to be a long journey to end this. Convincing Ozai that conquering the world wasn't going to solve anything had been difficult enough. If it wasn't for Iroh, I don't think we'd have been able to get anything done. I hadn't even learned any of the elements yet—as far as he knew, I was just a child. But, it had somehow all worked out. Thank the spirits.

"Katara, isn't your absence going to make him suspect?"

"He knows I'll do anything for my family. I've already lost my mother, I won't lose my father."

"But you're with me."

She paused, likely debating what to say next. "He doesn't know how I feel about you."

I wanted to believe her but I didn't. She almost tackled me to the ground at the pier, if Hahn didn't find that suspicious he would certainly find our absence suspicious. I rolled to my side and propped myself up on my elbow, finally allowing myself to face her. "What are we doing, Katara?" She threw Hahn's trust away to go on this trip with me. I was sure it was for her father but part of me didn't believe that was the entire reason.

Her eyes closed and she shook her head. "I don't know."

* * *

That morning we packed quickly, leaving at first light. The days were short in winter so we had to move quickly. I estimated that we were about half a day trek from the cave, assuming they remained there. Fang's vision hadn't allowed me much of a chance to look around their shelter but my gut told me they weren't safe yet.

And we weren't moving fast enough.

I had two options, to leave Katara with the sled and use my glider to look ahead or to have Katara sit in the sled while I used my airbending to propel us to our destination. I wasn't about to leave her out her on her own, not when she didn't know how to defend herself.

"We'll make better time if you get in the sled," I said, breaking the silence that had enveloped us for the last hour. Last night had left many things unsaid and things between us had changed but into what? She didn't love Hahn, she was with him to be a spy more or less. She had feelings for me of some sort but she'd hardly expanded on them. Where did that leave us? I was too nervous to ask. Not when we had this task at hand.

She turned and I stopped a few feet behind her, my hands falling from the grips. We'd have brought dogs to pull it but Hahn had insisted those were busy, too. Convenient.

"Took you long enough to think of that solution," she smirked as she rearranged the supplies, pulling the blankets and tucking them around her legs and torso. "Ready when you are."

And we were off, flying through the snow toward the mountain range that lie miles away, Katara whooping and laughing as we went. I couldn't help but be reminded of the last time we went sledding together; granted it was different than this. It was still fun. Simple.

Until we found that stupid abandoned Fire Nation ship.

I suppose I should I have been thankful that it was Hakoda's ship that reached the village before a fire nation ship after we'd sent that flare up. But that moment marked a mistake that I was still regretting to this day. I'd left the South Pole with Hakoda and we'd lured away the enemy ship encroaching on the South Pole all the way to the Earth Kingdom, where we convinced General Iroh and Prince Zuko to work with us rather than against us. From there the peace treaties had been drawn up and the long process of peace began.

The sun was high in the sky by the time we reached the mountain range. From there we went on foot, leaving the sled behind and placing most of our supplies on our backs.

The cave wasn't far off, nestled behind boulders that had fallen from larger rockslides, protected enough from predators but prone to snow build up, as we discovered when we found what looked like the opening. That was easily removed but it explained why the group was still in there, they didn't know the storm had finally ended.

"Aang," Bato gasped from Hakoda's side and Katara bolted passed me, water already in her hands to help her father.

"Bato what happened?" I asked, pulling him aside.

"A wild polar bear dog. We had it cornered until someone," He glanced to the two men isolated along the wall of the cave, "messed it up."

"Those are Hahn's men?"

He nodded. "They've been whispering ever since we took shelter in here. I don't trust them, Avatar, and they know it. What happened to Hakoda wasn't an accident."

I nodded, glancing over at the two men who now looked white as ash. They were nervous, scared even.

Good. They can stew in that for a bit.

"Watch them," I ordered. I didn't want them escaping while I spoke to our healer. "How does he look, Katara?"

"He has deep lacerations across his chest that Iman was able to stitch up but he's lacked any other treatment."

I nodded my thanks to Iman and knelt down beside Katara. "Is there anything you need?"

She shook her head and lowered her voice to a whisper. "Aang, I know those men are the ones that tried to hurt Appa and I know you're dying to interrogate them. Iman and I will remain here but take Bato and show them what it means to endanger the Avatar's family."

* * *

The two men were a lot less helpful than I had hoped they would be. There was little they were willing to say about Hanh without the use of torture. But they did admit to what they tried to do to Appa and that was, for now, enough for me. Bato was eager to get more but I wasn't about to stoop to that level.

However, I was willing to give them only one strip of dried meat to share while everyone else ate their fill, gobbling down the sea prunes at an alarming rate that made me feel ill. It took me five minutes to eat just one of those horrid things, if anything it made me yearn for the flavor of Fire Nation cuisine.

"We shouldn't move him until tomorrow," Katara finally said, glancing around, pausing to look at the two men behind earthen bars. "Aang, do you mind if I speak with you outside?

"Sure." I followed her out to cave door, reinforcing the bars around the traitors before I left. We trekked down the makeshift trail I'd created shortly after our arrival into a small area hiding from the view of the mouth of the cave and far from earshot.

I arched a brow. "What's wrong?" I inquired, concerned with her distraught look.

"You asked me last night," she started, "what we were doing and I told you I didn't know," with a deep breath, the rest of the words came tumbling out. "That was a lie, Aang and one I'm sorry for having told. I wanted to know that my father was safe before I did anything reckless. But, I know what I want. It's what I've wanted for years but I'd long since given up on. It's what I've been denying myself…"

The blood pulsing through my ears quite honestly drowned out the rest of what she was saying. Once again my heart was in my throat and my stomach was doing violent summersaults as I started at her, watching as she moved her hands around as she spoke. I watched her lips move, forming words I could hardly hear before I leaned down a kissed her, pressing my lips against the warmth of hers.

The surprise wore off and my hands slipped from her face to her waist as her arms slid around my neck, pulling me just a bit closer. I tightened my grasp, lifting her up to her toes in my embrace as our lips met and my tongue skirted along the edge of her lips.

Ten years poured into this kiss. Ten years of tears, regret, and love shared between us. Ten years of emotions that we couldn't even fathom into writing suddenly coming to the surface and overflowing into the other. I was practically bursting at the seams.

But then the moment was over and Katara stepped away, a smile playing on her lips as her cheeks turned just a bit rosier. "I-I should check on my father," she mumbled and walked back up the path.

I watched her go, a bit flabbergasted. I waited until my heart stopped pounding before following her, trying to remain hopefully but one resounding question kept on roaring through my mind.

What are we doing?

* * *

**And there it is! Reviews are like rainbows on a dreary day!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: And here is chapter 4, my dears! I apologize that it took a little while!**

**The characters of ATLA are in no way mine :)**

* * *

The journey back to the city was awkward to say the least. I spent the night beside the little prison I'd constructed, keep the traitors in their confinement and keeping myself far, far away from Katara.

It wasn't that I regretted the kiss, I really, _really_ didn't. But we were treading in dangerous water. The north was powerful and definitely not a force to be reckoned with. But we didn't know how powerful. All we really knew was that Hahn was the trigger. If scorned, he had the power to call down the fleet all on his own and the south would be left right where it was before the peace treaty: devastated. I wasn't willing to leave them that way, not again.

Throughout the night I'd thought of thousands of scenarios of running away with Katara, living in the Fire Nation or the Earth Kingdom—perhaps even the Air Temples. But each scenario led to the South's destruction and the North eventually attempting to expand their power over the whole world. There didn't appear to be a happy ending in sight for us and it made my chest ache.

We stopped around noon to rest, Katara forced Hakoda to get up and walk around for a few moments to stretch his legs while I sat on a raised bit of land some yards from the group, still mulling over the night before. I hardly noticed when she left her father and joined me.

"Aang…" her voice was soft but it made my skin bristle. I didn't think this would be good news. I just looked at her, my mouth too dry to even try to form words. "Last night was…"

I braced myself.

"…Wonderful."

Yup, she hated i-wait, what?

"It makes things more complicated, doesn't it?"

I nodded dumbly, still stuck on the fact that she wasn't yelling at me for being so forward in the first place. A moment of silence passed before I managed to say anything. "Where do we go from here, Katara?"

She sighed, her voice wavering just slightly. "I can't leave Hahn."

"I know." I wanted her to. But I knew she couldn't.

"My proximity to him is too advantageous. There's countless of efforts that I've blocked from happening and without my spying the south would fall even faster." She spoke like it was inevitable. Maybe it was. "But…none of that is fair to you." Her voice fell to a whisper. "I want to be with you, Aang."

I wondered where this was coming from. If everything she said in Appa's barn was a lie. There was probably some truth to it. Ten years was a long time to wait, especially if she thought I was fooling around with someone in the Fire Nation. The culture was very different there but it wasn't one that I assimilated into entirely.

"I want that too," I finally said. "But," I couldn't believe I was saying this, "I won't do something behind Hahn's back. I don't know how he feels about you and if the situation was reverse, I couldn't bear it." I wanted to slap myself. This was the woman I'd dreamed of for the last ten years of my life and I was telling her no. But, deep, deep, deeeeep in my gut, I knew I was right. Jerk or not, Hahn still deserved my respect. At least some of it.

"I understand," she murmured. "I'd end it if I thought I could," were her departing words as she slipped away and back to check on Hakoda. My heart twisted watching her walk away.

I couldn't believe I was letting her.

* * *

By sunset we were all back in our homes. Katara had taken Hakoda to the healing ward while Bato and the others had taken care of Hahn's spies as well as the meat from the hunt, which yielded little. The city was back as it was before the storm, with a lively market and streets packed with people. But something had been different when we walked through the gates. The people looked frightened.

The South had always had a jovial feel to it and this afternoon I'd felt none of it. People watched over their shoulders as if they were expecting someone to grab the goods they carried. Craftsmen watched over their tables like a hawk with weapons strapped to their sides. Law enforcement seemed to have doubled. Something was off and I didn't doubt that it had something to do with Hahn. He was too elusive to accuse of anything, though. Especially with the way he'd greeted us.

He looked beyond relieved when Katara walked through the gates and it pained me to be forced to see how much he cared for her. Honestly, I'm surprised he has the capability to feel.

Then again, he is human and humans are complex.

But he raced toward her so frantically and pulled her into such an embrace that you would have thought she'd returned from the dead. He'd been worried about her, worried about a defenseless woman stuck in the throes of a blizzard. So worried that he wouldn't leave her side and he went with her to the healing ward.

I couldn't help but feel bitter. She wouldn't have been defenseless if he had pushed her to learn how to bend beyond healing.

"Aang?"

I sat up, stretching my back before granting the voice permission to enter.

Hakoda slowly entered the room, a slight limp in his step as he took a seat on the edge of the bed. He heaved a sigh, rubbing the weariness from his eyes. He was getting older, I realized. Trips like this last one weren't going to be happening very often anymore.

I wondered if he was even strong enough to make it through all of this.

"I wanted to talk to you about what's happened over the last few weeks," he spoke.

I swallowed and nodded, remaining in my place on the other side of the mattress.

"What happened was a deliberate attempt on my life and I have no doubt that Hahn was behind it. As it is, the two men aren't going to say anything to incriminate him and so, yet again, we have no proof. We are not going to be able to imprison him, not ever. I think the best hope we have is to get him away from the south."

Reasonable enough.

"What do you propose we do?"

He heaved a sigh, his eyes weary. He'd given this a lot of thought and I wasn't sure I was going to like what he had to say. "Katara and Hahn are to be married in the north in several months' time. However, Katara came to me this afternoon with an idea. She wishes to push forth the wedding and therefore get Hahn out of the city before he can do any further damage."

I stiffened. I didn't want her to leave and I didn't care how selfish that was. "How does she propose to do this?"

"She proposed luring him into her bed and then claiming to be pregnant some weeks later."

My world spun. "No." The word clawed its way out of my throat, burning it as it went.

Hakoda turned and his face softened the moment he looked into my eyes. "I know how you feel about my daughter, Avatar, but this is her choice."

"If she does this she might really end up carrying his child. Could you live with that?"

His jaw tightens. "Again, it's not my choice. It's hers."

I shook my head, my heart racing. No. No. She would never forgive herself if she did this. "You're willing to let her do this? Let her act as one of your pawns? She's more than that, Hakoda."

He frowned and shifted his gaze to his feet. His shoulders heaved with the weight of his decision and I realized he felt the same. He didn't want her to do it either but after years of treating Katara like a foolish girl, he must have realized she'd been working for him all along. He was letting her play her part because he had been holding her back for years.

"This is the wrong choice, Hakoda. She's just a girl," the desperation in my voice hardly enforced those words. She was so much more than a girl. She was a brave young woman who clearly put everyone else before herself. She was everything.

He stiffened. "No, she's not just a girl, Aang. She a young woman, a brave young woman. She has the right to make this choice and you have no right to force her to change it."

I looked to the flood, biting the inside of my cheek as I did. He was right but that didn't mean I'd like it or that I wouldn't try to change her mind.

"Anything that happens will be because Katara thinks it is what's best for her people, Aang. I—she knows how desperate we are to get our sister tribe off our backs and she knows how close we are to all out warfare. Believe me, this is the last thing I want for her. But it might be the only chance we have at freedom, even if it temporary. With him gone we can get back on our feet and prove to the world that we can stand on our own."

There was truth to his words. I was smart enough to know that, but I was also smart enough to know that there were other ways, the other nations could help. I said as much but he shook his head. It would take too much time and we needed to let Katara try this. If it didn't work, then we'd revisit that option.

This was ridiculous. This was ill conceived. Had they even bothered to think this through?

"I need to talk to her." I untangled myself from the blankets and half stumbled to the door and out into the hall, not caring that I'd left Hakoda sitting there.

I tried not to think too much as I stormed through the halls of the chief's home. I knew if I did I'd lose my edge. I'd over think it all. I couldn't think of any reason for Katara not to do this other than I didn't want her to. She was betrothed to him, for all intents and purposes what she proposed doing wasn't all that uncommon. But she didn't love him. She was with him out of obligation more than anything. There were other ways she could help the South.

Stopping before her door, I heaved a sigh, releasing all the nerves I felt coiling in my stomach before I knocked twice.

She peaked through the small crack in the door before allowing me entry. "What do you want?" She sounded so unwelcoming.

"I think you know why I'm here."

Her eyes closed and she shook her head, moving from the door to behind the dressing screen in the corner. Much of her room contained items from different nations, many of them I'd had sent to her, those were mostly little things, though. Like the statue of a flying lemur on her bedside table.

"Katara, you can't do this."

"I can, Aang. He is my betrothed. I'll have to do it eventually, might as well get it over with."

"But you don't love him. Didn't you once tell me that your Gran Gran fled something similar to this? Are you going disappoint her like this?"

"Don't you _dare _bring my family into this! This is bigger than that and you know it."

"But it doesn't have to be this way, Katara!"

"No, Aang, it doesn't. It really doesn't. But if we don't get Hahn out of here soon even worse things are going to happen. He released criminals while we were gone. Northern men that were arrested for terrorism. I found the papers on his desk when we returned. He's claiming you authorized it."

What? "That's why everyone looks so…"

"Terrified?" She nodded as she walked to her bed, sitting down. Her fingers played with the pendant around her neck. "He's turning the tribe against you and is gaining support because of it. We need to get him to the North. If he thinks I'm pregnant he'll stay there until I deliver the baby. Or lose it. If I lose it he'll stay just as long. Nine months is enough time for Dad and Bato to figure something out."

I sat beside her, closer than I probably should have and slipped my hands into hers. Before I said anything she pulled her hands away and folded them into her lap. "There's nothing else I can do, Aang, and I have to do something."

"There's always another way. A better way."

"That may be true but I can think of none and we need to act soon. I can't delay this because you want me to."

"Katara…"

"No, Aang. I'm sorry I'm hurting you. I'm sorry we can't make this work. But until someone can think of something else, this is what I am going to do."

I looked at her, really looked at her. This woman who was so tired of it all that she was risking the rest of her life in the faint hope that it might save the Southern Water Tribe. There was no guarantee that Hahn would stay with her, there was no promise that they wouldn't send someone else. She knew that, too. But I didn't think she was letting herself think about it. This brave water tribe woman.

"Fine," I finally replied. "Do what you wish. It's your life, after all. But, Katara," I hesitated, "You're worth more than this."

I didn't realize she was crying until I heard her sniffle after I'd left the room.

* * *

That night I laid in bed, my eyes never closing. It wasn't late but other than my visit to Appa I had nothing else to do. I was angry and lashing out at whoever decided to speak to me wasn't working. Holing myself up in my rooms and wallowing in my anger and grief seemed like a better option. I'm sure Hakoda appreciated it, especially when he needed rest from the journey and his wound.

It wasn't late, only a few hours after sunset. Hahn and Katara had left for their evening out two hours ago and had yet to be seen since. It infuriated me, the look he'd given her when he saw her. Hahn cared for Katara, he really did. A jerk or not that wasn't something I could continue to deny. And I knew she cared for him on some level, but it was still all just one big political move to her.

The soft click of the door handle pulled me from my thoughts. Katara stood there, tears brimming in her eyes. "I couldn't do it," she whispered, her voice catching.

And suddenly my heart was back in my throat.

"Come here," I murmured, pulling back the blankets and scooting to the side. She locked the door and removed a few layers before sliding under the blankets next to me, her head resting on my shoulder as my arms wrapped around her, pulling her snuggly against my form.

We laid like that for some time, perhaps hours, listening to the soothing breath of the other. Our arms would sporadically tighten around the other in a gentle reassurance that the other was still there. "Katara," I murmured, gently pressing a kiss to her brow.

"Mmm?"

"Let's run," I said softly, "We can go to the Fire Nation, I know Ozai and Iroh will help us if we present our case to them. We could go to the Earth Kingdom, King Keui would help us, too."

She burrowed further into my chest and I felt her smiling against my skin. "You came up with something else?"

That wasn't a no. Thank the spirits. "I think it'll work."

"I think it will, too."

* * *

An hour later we were in Appa's barn with Hakoda, packed supplies into the saddle for the journey. Katara, ever the nurturing mother of her family, spent most the time scolding Hakoda for not taking it easy, though I think he was eager to get us out of here before Hahn woke up. We had at least three hours until dawn and an hour after that before the city started stirring. I wanted us to be far enough out that a pursuit wasn't possible.

"Katara," he finally said. "I know you're worried about me. But we have healers here that can help if I need it."

She relented, eventually, and climbed into the saddle while Hakoda pulled me aside.

"Aang," he whispered. "Don't let her come back until this is dealt with. It's only going to get worse from here and she won't be safe if she returns."

I nodded. "Thank you, Hakoda." I bowed, my fist resting in my palm before I launched myself into Appa's head. "Ready boy? Yip yip!"

With a groan Appa lifted off the ground and sailed through the large doors, flying low in the city, It'd been several days since he'd been let out to fly, I imagined he was stiff. Our stealthy get away was lost because of it.

Though, Katara's laughter was hardly subtle either.

Around us, the city started stirring but by the time anyone made it outside, we were already gone, picking up momentum as Appa raised himself into the sky.

* * *

"This is where you grew up?" she breathed.

We were standing in the courtyard of the Southern Air Temple, surrounded by wildlife. I'd hoped to have time to restore it to its former glory after my tour around the world but it seemed that the world and its problems wouldn't still for me just yet. It had crossed my mind to find a way for someone to help me with it but…the idea of outsiders—other than friends, obviously—being here unnerved me. This place was sacred. I needed to know that people would respect it.

"Yes." I still can't believe I'm sharing it with her. "I was raised here by the monks, Monk Gyatso, mainly."

The corner of her lips fell. "You told me about him. In your letters."

I looked away. "Yeah." I'd done a little cleaning when I'd come here before, between my lessons in the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation and lain Gyatso to rest. By then I accepted what happened to my people but it didn't make seeing it hurt any less. "This place used to be so full of life and now it's . . . gone."

She smiled sadly and walked away from Appa and up the path to explore the temple further. For the next hour I showed her where I slept, where I played, all the places I learned how to air bend. She was fascinated by it all, more than once she stopped to admire the architecture, commenting on how beautiful it all was.

"You should have seen it when the monks took care of it."

"Who takes care of it, now?"

I shrugged. "No one, really."

"Oh."

I gave her a faint grin. There wasn't much to do about that. I wanted the people living in the temples to understand and respect the culture and not live there haphazardly. I didn't know anyone I trusted enough to take that role, I didn't think I ever would. But watching them slowly wither away wasn't easy. Perhaps it was time to accept it as part of the past. Or find someone I trusted enough to care for them. But, like I said, that probably wouldn't happen.

"Anyway, we'll camp here for the night and then make our way to the Fire Nation Capital in the morning. Hopefully we'll make it to land before dark."

We built a campfire nestled around it for warmth. The rooms here still hold a significant amount of sadness for me, remembering who used to stay in each one. I could hardly bring myself to sleep in one, not even my own. That didn't stop me from showing it to her on our tour, though. She wanted to see it and I wasn't about to deny her that.

"Tell me about the monks."

What?

"You told me about them in your letters. I want to hear more about them."

And I obliged. I told her more about Gyatso and the pranks we used to pull, the games we used to play. If monks had fathers, he was it for me. I told her about the other novice air benders, the games we used to play. I told her everything. From my first day to my last.

"Monk Tashi sounds like he was a grump," she chuckled softly.

"He was very serious," I agreed. "But he was a good teacher, they all were. Monk Pasang was doing what he thought was best for the world and I left when I should have listened. He was right. But I'm not sure what good it would have done if I had stayed."

"You might have ended up just like them."

I nodded. "Or I'd have gone into the Avatar state and saved them."

She sighed, giving me a sympathetic look. "You can't dwell on the possibilities, Aang. You'd already done so much for the world since then. You brought back peace."

I winced. "Did I?" It's rhetorical. I already know I failed. "I let the North come into a crumbling tribe and take over. They built you a city, they moved into the city, your tribe was so small and so easily bullied into doing what the north wanted. I should have been there to supervise, or at least have sent someone to do it for me."

"You couldn't have known things would have turned out this way," she said. "We didn't know it was turning out this way until recently. We were thrilled to have something more comfortable and safe to call home, Aang. All of this aggression from the north happened within the last few months. Dad sent for you as soon as he realized something was wrong. It's not too late to fix things."

I can't say her words calmed me. I didn't think anything would really make me relax until this was over with. I expected Arnook to back off when the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom turned on him, but that depended on if the two nations decided it was worth it. They were still recovering from the Hundred Year War, after all.

"It's too late for things to ever be the same," I spoke softly.

She looked down at her hands. "I don't want them to be the same. Our meager village barely survived on its own. Building the city was an improvement, especially because our lack of one is what made us an easy target for the Fire Nation. Now if we ever have something like that again, we'll be safer."

"Maybe."

"Aang," her voice was firm, "You cannot beat yourself up over absolutely everything. You are doing your best."

I shook my head. "Let's get some sleep, Katara. We're leaving at first light."

* * *

**A/N: I was going to add a lot more to this but I felt like this was a good place to leave off. Keep an eye out for the next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Avatar and the characters created by it are in no way owned by me. Though, I'm prone to taking some artistic license with them, oops. **

**Welcome back, darlings! I know it's been quite a while but school definitely devoured me to the point that I barely had time to read, let alone write. Here's the next chapter in all it's glory, probably with typos but I don't hae a beta, so whatever! **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

I did my best to warn Katara of what to expect in the Fire Nation. It was going to be a gruesome game of politics with unrelenting question of why they should help her. How would it benefit them? Was it worth the risk? I tried to prepare her with answers but, ultimately, it would depend on her being able to convince the Fire Lord to help. I would help as much as I could, but Ozai wouldn't be swayed by my speech; he would be swayed by hers. She represented the South, and she needed to represent something worth saving.

What I didn't prepare her for was actually meeting the royal family. After leaving the air temple, we stopped along the coast of the Fire Nation to rest for a few hours. From there, I sent a messenger hawk to the family, hoping to give them time to prepare for our arrival. Katara was eager to move on but arriving unannounced would surely cause some sort of disarray. Ozai preferred structure and order; I didn't want to take that from him.

Katara's unease had been growing this whole time, I think being in the vicinity of the Fire Nation made her nervous. They'd built up a reputation in the years I was gone and it wasn't one they would shed easily. I believed this opportunity to help the Southern Water Tribe would give Ozai and Iroh a chance at redeeming their nation. I hoped they would see that, too.

During our descent onto the palace grounds, Katara grew eerily silent while my heart was hammering in my chest, eager to reunite with friends I hadn't seen in a long while.

"Aang!" Zuko waved as Appa landed, hurrying toward us alongside his sister. I leaped down onto the stone, hugging both of them before bowing to their parents who stood behind them.

Firelady Ursa smiled. "It's wonderful to see you, Aang." Her eyes flitted to Appa's saddle. "And I see you brought a friend."

Curiosity formed in Azula's eyes as she spotted Katara. Her arm slipped from my waist, moving forward to greet Katara. "Hello!" she beamed. "I'm Princess Azula, welcome to the Fire Nation Capital. Aang told us about you in his note, you'll probably need new clothes, it's too hot here for anything you brought from the South Pole."

Ozai cleared his throat, shooting Azula a glare that sent her slinking away. "Business first, Azula," he chided.

"Sorry," I said quickly, moving to Katara's side and taking her hand. Her palm was sweating and her jaw was set firm. Of course she was nervous. I understood that. But couldn't she relax just a little? I gave her hand an assuring squeeze before introducing the family. "Katara, may I present Firelord Ozai, his wife, Lady Ursa, his son, Zuko, and his daughter, Azula."

She nodded her head and did something that resembled a curtsy before looking fiercely at Ozai. "We have much to discuss," she told him.

Before he could respond, another voice joined the fray. "Yes, we do. But, for now, perhaps some rest and some tea?"

"And that," I laughed, "is Iroh, Ozai's older brother."

* * *

Much to Iroh's dismay, Ozai was rather insistent on hearing what Katara and I had to say. I was thankful for it, honestly. Getting this business out of the way would give us time to relax into our new surroundings rather than stress over what to say.

In the Fire Lord's hall, Katara's passion for her people poured from her lips and any shadow of doubt faded from her. She was confident, she was poised, and she'd made a brilliant argument pleading for support. Never did she directly say this was the Fire Nation's fault but the undertone was there. It was easy to see that the royal family was moved by her speech, the question was whether or not it would be moved into action.

They asked little of me, only to confirm the actions of Hahn and the North's movements. Eventually, Ozai and Iroh consented.

"We have contacts in the North that will confirm what you have said," Iroh assured. "Then we will decide what to do."

Katara nodded, a smile forming on her face briefly, falling quickly as she spoke. "But my brother, Sokka, he's in the North. I fear for his saf—" she was stopped by Ozai's hand hovering in the air.

"We will take care of him, Katara," he assured, dropping his hand back to his knee. "If our contacts deem the situation too dangerous, they will leave and they won't leave without him. In the meantime, I'll have them get in contact with him and discuss their options."

"He won't trust them," Katara replied. Blunt and to the point, I liked that about her.

The room stilled a moment. Hardly anyone mentioned the distrust between the nations, but Katara and Sokka believed they had the greatest of reasons to distrust them, they killed their mother.

Prince Zuko finally spoke, breaking the silence. "Surely, you have a code word we can use. If he's there as a spy, there has to be a way he can know to trust contacts."

Though she hesitated, Katara nodded and gave the phrase to them, scrawling it on a piece of paper so they wouldn't forget.

* * *

Katara disappeared after the audience, claiming she needed rest. I retreated to my rooms as well, though Zuko joined me not ten minutes later.

"So that's her, huh?" he asked. He flopped down into the lounge chair, grinning like an idiot the whole way.

My years in the Fire Nation weren't brief, and Azula's nosy nature had outed my feelings for Katara a long time ago. Approximately two months into my stay, actually. From then on, she'd announce quite loudly and proudly when I'd gotten a letter from the Southern Tribe and insist I share some details of the letter. Zuko, however, understanding of my privacy, would eventually distract her attention, usually with some sort of firebending challenge, and I would sneak off to read the letter.

We'd grown to be great friends since then, one I confided in about a great many things, including Katara. What astonished him the most was that, despite the distance and the length between contact, I'd maintained my affection for her all these years.

I nodded. "Yes, that's her."

He exhaled, slumping against the cushions. "Your description barely does her justice. She's breathtaking."

My eyes narrowed. "I'm sure Mai would love to know you think so," my words are joking but a threat was there, subtle as it may be.

He snorted, shaking his head. "Mai and I are _engaged_, Aang. There's not much you have to worry about."

I raised a brow. "Engaged? Since when?"

He shook his head. "I'll catch you up if you catch me up."

Seeing as he'd heard much of my adventures in the South, I filled him in on the smaller details, the moments Katara didn't share. And, honestly, I wasn't sure if I should share, either. What were we to each other? With so much going on, I didn't think we'd ever be anything to each other, not until things were settled. Whenever that might be. But this was Zuko, one of my best friends, I shared it with him anyway. Halfway through, Azula joined us, eager to hear the story as well. I backtracked for her, highlighting details I'd missed, moments where Hahn showed his true colors, moments Katara showed how strong she was.

By the end of it, the pair hated Hahn more than I did. Mostly because I tried my best not to.

"And then we left, in the middle of the night, without giving two thoughts to what might happen to the South after we did leave. It was irresponsible, I admit. But, all I could think of was getting her away from there. She wasn't safe."

Azula sighed wistfully. "Ty Lee is going to love this story," she hummed, rolling onto her back and kicking her foot out, nudging Zuko's side. "Well, are you going to tell him your less than romantic story?"

Zuko's eyes narrowed. "It was romantic enough!"

"Oh, hardly! You nearly set Mai on fire."

I blinked several times before Zuko finally decided to live up to his end of the bargain. "A couple months ago, I proposed to Mai via a scroll of parchment that she read while I was there. It was lying flat on the table and while she read I was using my fire bending to sort of singe the edges into a heart shape—"

"Except Mai was leaning her cheek on her hand and her sleeve caught fire. You're lucky a servant was paying attention and put it out, Zuzu. You were certainly too distracted by your nerves to notice."

Zuko glowered and said quickly, "She said yes in the end, that's all that matters."

"After quite the extended silent treatment," Azula sang.

I snorted, finally relenting to the laughter building up in my chest. "Only you, Zuko."

Azula smirked. "We sent you a letter, Aang. But we sent it to Kioshi Island, we weren't aware you'd moved on until a few weeks ago."

"Oh?"

Zuko nodded. "We're having a betrothal celebration in a week; the letter we sent was an invitation. Since you're here, I guess we won't need you to notify us of your attendance. We weren't expecting the plus one, however."

My cheeks reddened, at least I think that's what that sensation was.

"Oh!" Azula gasped. "Katara won't have anything to wear, will she?"

I shook my head, we hadn't packed much regarding ceremonial garb, though I'd left some of that here when I'd left the Fire Nation. They're always throwing some sort of party, I figured it'd have been a good idea to have something here at all times. "Probably not." My eye flicked to movement beside the door, Katara's form hesitantly stepping in. "But perhaps you can ask her about that yourself, Azula."

Katara's eyes blazed but she stepped forward. "I'd rather you talk to me than talk about me," she quipped as she approached. "What is it you want?" She sounded harsh, angry even. Probably her default setting in a new place.

Azula glanced in my direction, definitely having noticed the tone. "Well, Mother and Father are hosting Zuko and Mai's engagement celebration in two days and I only noted that you wouldn't have anything to wear. My thought—well, Ty Lee's thought—was that we could find some fabrics for you and the royal dress maker could prepare something for you. She's really quite divine, she'll make you something perfect."

"No, I'm really fine with what I have…"

Azula shook her head, laughing slightly. "Nonsense, you'll die of heat stroke in that thick fabric, we have something that'll be much cooler, I promise. I'll be by your rooms in a few hours with the dress maker and Ty Lee, I think we can find some blues that'll look simply divine on you."

"She'd probably look wonderful in Fire Nation red and gold," Zuko added. His comment was directed at me and my eyes narrowed.

"Zuzu!" Azula gasped. "Oh, you're right she'd look…sexy, wouldn't she?"

"_Anyway_, Katara probably has something important to discuss with me, you two better go…" Zuko's amused grin didn't leave his face as he and his sister left, and I couldn't help but feel a bit of anger toward his comment. Though, he was right. She'd look beautiful in red. But I didn't like either of them saying as much. "Is everything alright, Katara?" I asked when we were finally alone.

Though her shoulders shook, she nodded. Her jaw was set, firm and stubborn. I crossed the room and rested my hands on her shoulders. "I think we're beyond lying, Katara."

She closed her eyes and shook me off, exhaling loudly. "It's just a lot to process in one day, Aang."

"What is?"

A sigh escaped her lips. "All of this. Being here. Being with the family responsible for my mother's death. I feel like I'm betraying her."

I stiffened. I'd been fighting against those words for so long, and it hurt to hear her use them. "Katara," I spoke softly. "Ozai, Ursa, Iroh, and their children are not responsible for the actions of Firelord Azulon or Sozin."

"They might as well be," she insisted.

"_No._" I said firmly. "They're not. They are responsible for what they did after his death. They tried to solve things, they did. And they've been nothing but helpful since negotiations to end the war began."

She shook her head, sinking onto the bed and I knelt before her. "Katara, what's really going on?"

She sighed, her shoulders slumping as her face fell. "I'm scared, Aang. I don't know them like you do. I know you trust them but I…I can't. Not yet. I don't know them. I don't know what they're capable of, only that they killed my mother."

"Katara," I took her hands in mine, they trembled slightly, cold to the touch. I warmed them the best I could. "Katara, you need to understand that Ozai would never have let that happen if he was in power."

"How could you possibly know that, Aang?" Defeat rang through her voice, masked with weariness, wondering if this was all too much.

"Because the Order of the White Lotus infiltrated the Fire Nation a long time ago, and posed as tutors for two Fire Nation princes, teaching them what it meant to protect the balance of the world in the absence of the Avatar. They protected Iroh and Ozai from their father's corruption. Situations that could have been awful for them were made better.

"When Azulon died and Iroh abdicated his claim to the throne, Ozai took the throne alongside a woman he loved with the intent of lessening the damage his father had done. But calling back his troops instantly would have led to disaster in the Fire Nation, the nobles would have called for his head. Not unless it looked like someone had forced his hand," I hesitated. "Someone like me, Katara. He sent people out to find me to help him stop the war. Your father found me first and brought me to him."

She lifted her head. "Dad knew?"

I nodded. "He was one of the few that knew, it had to be kept a secret from the rest of the Fire Nation but a few trusted generals were to spread the message to other leaders." It was a risky move and had taken a lot of convincing, but it had worked. Miraculously, it had worked.

"D-doesn't that mean the nobles want your head?" she asked wearily.

I smiled, letting out a breathy laugh. "Yes, I suppose so. But no one wants to bring down the wrath of the Avatar State."

Her form straightened slightly, her shoulders no longer drooping. "Thank you," she finally said as she moved her thumb along my palm.

"I understand you're scared, Katara. But, I beg of you, please keep an open mind. It's the only way we'll get through any of this. We can't ask for help and hate them at the same time."

Slowly, she nodded. "You're right, Aang. I will, at least I'll try," she promised.

That was enough for me. This was a lot for her to take in, I knew that. It was a lot for me to take in, too, and she was handling it a lot better than I did. I'd just about taken apart the building during negotiations years ago, still fragile from discovering the fate of my people. "We'll be fine," I promised, pressing a kiss to her hands. "And, if it helps, I can teach you how to defend yourself with waterbending. You won't need it here, but if it's a comfort to be able to, I'll be happy to teach you."

After a quick inhale, she slowly exhaled, her hands moving in mine to grasp them tightly. Her head bobbed vigorously. "Yes. Yes, I'd like that."

* * *

**A/N: Thank you dearly to Brian for reminding me that I'm not a completely awful writing and that I do an okay job. **

**Reviews are hot cocoa on a cold winter day!**

** xoxo,**

** Em**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Avatar and the characters created by it are in no way owned by me. Though, I'm prone to taking some artistic license with them, oops.**

**Thank you so much for the reviews, especially guest reviewer _Kataangtrash_, you totally made my morning when I woke up and saw that review!**

**I thought I'd fixed everything, but I saw a typo in the last chapter saying the party was in two days time, when before I'd said it was in a week! To clarify, Zuko and Mai's party was a week away and should be addressed in the next chapter.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The days following, Katara and I spent an hour every morning in the garden, bothering the turtle ducks in their pond as we, in Zuko's words, splashed around in the water. It'd only been a few days but she'd shown remarkable progress. I'd always known she would. Katara was more than just a healer, she was a warrior, too. I only wish she'd been given the opportunities of a warrior. Bending was in her core, just as healing was.

"You're picking things up remarkably, Katara," I noted after a morning practice. "You've already mastered several of the moves I've shown you, as well as coming up with your own to try."

"It helps," she replied, "that I have a wonderful water bending master to teach me."

I shook my head. "It helps that you have a natural talent with water bending. You should have been trained, you would have been a great asset to the South in fighting." That's probably why Hahn insisted she only heal. It wasn't hard to see all that untapped potential.

I helped her out of the water, our skin drenched from the knees down. Her hand rested in mine for several seconds, sending a tingling sensation down my arm as our eyes met. Even sweaty and breathless from practicing, she looked gorgeous. Her hair was all over the place, a testament to her dedication to today's lesson. A few stray strands were plastered against her cheek, and I gently lifted my finger to brush it away. My fingertips grazing the corner of her lips and I couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like to kiss them again.

A throat behind us cleared, interrupting our brief moment together. Azula stood there, her arms crossed over her chest and her foot tapping impatiently against the ground. "I hate to interrupt," she said, sounding almost bored, "But there's a party in a few days and Katara still needs to have her final fitting for her dress. Seamstres Kyo does not appreciate how elusive Katara has been."

I quirked a brow, grinning at Katara as she evaded my gaze. "I'm sorry, Azula. I guess I'm not nearly as punctual as everyone else here."

"I don't think it helps," Azula sighed, "that you've been scheduling your fittings the during your water bending practice. Kyo is in your rooms, waiting. I suggest you get a move on, the longer you wait, the more she'll accidentally prick you with her needle."

I snorted, immediately apologizing when Katara's glare bore into me.

"It probably doesn't," she conceded, moving to Azula. "Would you like to come, Aang?" Her eyes pleaded with me and I was about to agree before Azula interrupted.

"Of course not!" Azula cried as she looped her arm through Katara's, dragging her away. "He wants to be surprised when he sees you at the party. Besides, we've hardly done any bonding, Katara, and Ty Lee is ever so curious about you. So is Mai, actually. You'll have to excuse her attitude; Mai is ever so boring."

I almost pitied her, but I was convinced being forced out of her comfort zone would be good for her. It'd been four days since we'd arrived and she'd hardly spent any time away from me, and if she was without me, she typically hid in her room. I understood she was scared, but she needed to play the diplomat right now, and Ozai and Iroh would not tolerate her hiding away for much longer.

"Ah, Avatar," Iroh greeted as I rounded the corner into the dining hall. He was seated with a cup of tea and a plate of pastries before him. "Come, sit with me."

"Good morning," I replied, kneeling down into the seat across from him.

"Would you like some tea?"

I nodded, knowing better than to refuse. "And perhaps some breakfast? Katara and I were practicing again and I've worked up an appetite."

He nodded to the attendant standing against the wall. She disappeared through the doors leading to the kitchens. "I have been watching you two train, Aang. It is nice to see Katara working so hard in her element. She is learning very quickly and it is clear that she is a very skilled bender."

I nodded. "She is, she's amazing."

Iroh smiled at me. "Her bending will not be enough to sway the Fire Nation into fighting for her."

My heart sinks. "I know. I've been trying to urge her out of her rooms but she's scared."

"So were you when you were presented to us. But you did what you needed to do. It is Katara's turn to do what needs to be done. Hiding away does nothing to assure my brother that the South Pole is worth fighting for."

I frowned, remaining silent as a plate of assorted fruits was placed in front of me. I nodded my thanks to the attendant before returning my attention to Iroh. "I thought she already convinced Ozai to help the South."

Iroh shook his head, cradling his tea cup. "No, she convinced him to look into the issue. Ozai is no fool. Intervening in the Water Tribe's civil war could be disastrous for the Fire Nation, no matter which side he is on. If we are to help the south, we have to know that it is worth the risk. Katara has done little to reassure him that the south is worth helping. As it is, the North is looking like the more powerful ally, and Arnook is powerful enough that he can convince the world that taking over the South was a needed action."

"Katara cannot represent all of her people, you can't make this decision based on one person."

Iroh sighed and sipped from his cup. "No, but as long as she is silent and her people are silent, there is nothing my brother will do to help."

"You're saying they need to fight. Katara and her people need to fight." It always came to violence, didn't it?

He nodded.

* * *

**Katara**

"Hm," Ty Lee hummed, drumming her fingers upon her chin as she studied the water tribe girl before her. She circled the girl, ending beside Azula, who slid her arm around the acrobat's waist. "I think this outfit is _almost_ complete, Zula" she finally said. "Some jewelry is all it needs!"

Katara heaved a sigh of relief, she'd been standing on the pedestal for what seemed like hours as Ty Lee and Azula circled her like vultures. Her feet ached and every part of her was sore, largely because of Kyo and her needles. For the past two hours she'd been muttering apologizes while her needles pierced and grazed Katara's skin.

She was fairly sure the tiny woman wasn't sorry at all.

"I agree, Ty Lee," Azula chimed in, twirling around and proceeding to her dresser, digging through the jewelry box resting on top of it. Mai leaned against the wall beside it, her gaze fixed on Katara.

"I don't know, the exposed waist makes her look a little fat," Mai stated, pushing off the wall to approach the mirror.

"Mai!" Both Azula and Ty Lee exclaimed.

Katara's eyes narrowed at the comment but she didn't feel a need to defend herself. Honestly, if she wasn't so uncomfortable, she'd be enjoying how amazing she felt in this dress.

"What?!" Mai asked. "I'm being honest."

"That's not an excuse to be rude," Azula snapped. "If you have a problem, Mai, you can leave."

"Ignore her," Ty Lee beamed. "She's just upset because all Zuko has been talking about is you and the Avatar. She gets mean when Zuko does something stupid."

"I do not," Mai replied. Though, she sounded very uninterested in this conversation.

"Yes," Azula said. "You do." She handed over some ornate looking jewels to Kyo who began holding them up to the fabric.

"Whatever," Mai grumbled and slowly made her way out of the room. Glaring at Katara briefly as she did.

Katara tilted her head, looking at the door curiously before looking back at Ty Lee. "He's been talking about us?"

Ty Lee's smile widened. "Oh, yes! He's been telling us all about what happened in the south. He said that Aang looked so happy when he spoke about you. Like he was falling in love." She sighed wistfully and leaned against Azula. "It's all so romantic, isn't it?"

Falling in love?

"I guess it is," Azula sighed, pressing a peck to Ty Lee's head. "Though, I think his timing is awful. He had all those years and it's taken him this long to come back to her? Pft." She tossed a sidelong glance in Katara's direction, something resembling mischief shining in them.

"Right?" Katara gasped, astonished to find herself agreeing. Though she's spoken similar words to Aang, she'd felt foolish for feeling that way. She wasn't the most important person in the world, Aang had other duties before her. "I was really frustrated with that, honestly." She started to remove the dress with Kyo's prompting and slipped into her normal clothes.

Ty Lee reached out and squeezed her hand. "I'm sure you missed him a lot."

Katara nodded. "I did, I really did miss him. I understood why he left, he had to. But I wanted to go with him, I would have if my dad hadn't of intervened." She stepped down from the pedestal and sat on the cushions Ty Lee and Azula had fallen back on.

Ty Lee cocked her head to the side. "What did he do?

Katara sighed, she hadn't really told anyone about the conversation she'd had with her father when Aang returned. It wasn't that it was a bad memory, she was just ashamed of herself and how she'd acted. So young and selfish. "Aang had just told me that I couldn't go with him because my father forbade it. And I was so furious. I went storming into our hut, screaming at my dad. All I wanted was to go, I wanted to learn how to water bend, I wanted to spend time with Aang. The whole village heard us.

"When he finally spoke, he sat me down and calmly said I wasn't going. When I demanded an explanation he said that my actions proved I wasn't mature enough. That if I wanted to go so badly I would have asked him calmly. That's when I spat at his feet and said I wished he'd died instead of mom."

Ty Lee and Azula both gasped.

Katara nodded. "I apologized for it later but I guess he was right; I wasn't mature enough. It still hurt, though. After they left, I was angry at Aang for not fighting more. But we were just kids, we didn't know how we would feel about each other."

"Aang did," Azula said. "He was so annoying, honestly. He wouldn't shut up about you for the first three weeks he was here. Granted, he left to learn waterbending in the northern tribe, but he still never stopped speaking of you and Sokka. Even when he came back to learn firebending he droned on and on about Katara and how wonderful she was. It was a bit annoying, honestly." Ty Lee rammed her elbow in Azula's side and she sighed. "Sorry, but it was."

A ghost of a smile formed on Katara's lips, her heart skittering a bit to hear that she'd meant so much to him. She almost felt ashamed that she'd been dating by the time he'd arrived to the Fire Nation. Despite how she felt about him, she refused to hold herself back for something that might never happen. She regretted that a little now, but that never would have changed what she did for her people.

"Did he enjoy himself while he was here?" She asked, her questions asking a lot more than she was willing to say.

Azula grinned wickedly. "He did, but he always had you in mind." Katara wasn't sure if she wanted to know what that meant. But she asked for an explanation anyway.

The afternoon went on that way, the girls talking and bonding. Katara left Azula's room feeling slightly better about being in the Fire Nation. More at ease. She was eager to tell Aang about her time with the two girls but thought a quick nap would better suffice before dinner, these morning practices were making her exhausted and being a human pin cushion for what felt like hours was tiring.

As she entered her chambers, right across the hall from Aang, she hesitated, staring at the closed doors to his room, wondering if he was in there. She tilted her head, finding herself longing to snuggle up against him. They'd been distant the past few days, in fact, the way he touched her this morning was the closest they had come to intimate contact since they left the South Pole. She smiled softly to herself, remembering how her heart had been hammering in her chest and her stomach doing flips when his fingertips had brushed her skin. It was unlike any emotion she'd felt before, not even during her first kiss.

With a wistful sigh, she eased the door to her room closed, locking it out of habit more than anything. It'd been a few days without incident, she felt safe. Comfortable, even. She didn't see that changing any time soon.

She moved in front of the mirror, unpinning her hair and letting the waves cascade down her shoulders as she slowly slipped down to her under wrappings and donned a night dress, not wanting to wrinkle the only clothing she had to wear for dinner. She needed to look put together, like a diplomat. That's what Aang had said the other day, she needed to look professional, no matter how much she wanted to give up.

She did, she wanted to give up. She wanted to go to a remote part of the world and forget any of this was happening. But that wasn't an option. The people she loved needed her, and she would be damned to disappoint them.

With a yawn, she flopped onto her pillow, frowning when her skull collided with something harder than the average pillow. She sat up, finding a roll of parchment resting on the fabric. Slowly, she picked it up, undoing the string and smoothing the paper out. In moments, a scream had built in her throat and her heart seized in her chest.

_I hope you're enjoying the Fire Nation_

_With love, _

_H_

* * *

**DUN DUN DUN!**

**Shout out to my three guest reviewers, you guys absolutely made my day. I hope to hear from you again!**

**Reviews are like ice cream on a bad day!**

**xoxo,**

**Em**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Avatar and the characters created by it are in no way owned by me. Though, I'm prone to taking some artistic license with them, oops.**

**ALRIGHT SO I LIED. I tried really hard to work the party into this chapter but it was not working out. So, you'll have to wait for the next chapter, possibly. Who knows? These guys tend to do their own thing and it's the exact opposite of what I had planned. **

**Anyway, thank you very much for the reviews, they make my heart soar and definitely give me the motivation to keep going!**

* * *

Katara's shouts filled the palace, her enraged screams shaking me to my core and I ripped through the palace, dodging servants and guards as they raced to her room, tearing the doors open with a burst of wind. Her room was trashed, pillows everywhere, feathers floating to the floor. Chair were overturned, cushions on the opposite end of the room than they were supposed to me. And in the middle of it all, was an enraged water bender, her chest heaving.

"Katara—" She thrust a piece of parchment in my hand as I approached her, storming passed me as she exited into the hall. I glanced down, reading briefly before gripping it tightly and hurrying after her. "Katara, what are you doing?"

"What does it look like, Aang?" she asked, a new level of anger in her voice. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little afraid of her in that moment. "I'm going to have a little chat with Firelord Ozai about the security in his palace and tell him he has a Northern Water Tribe spy in his midst and something needs to be done about it."

"But Ka—"

"Don't, Aang!" She came to a halt, her finger stabbing me in the chest repeatedly as I spoke. "_You_ said I'd be safe here, _you_ suggested we come here in the first place. Well so far, I don't feel very safe!" She whirled around, stalking down the hall while I rubbed the sore spot on my chest and followed her, running right into her as I rounded the corner.

Her hands were placed stubbornly on her hips as she stared into the eyes of the Firelord, his wife, and his brother.

"Katara," Ursa gasped. "We were just coming to check on you, all that screaming…"

Katara held out her hand, snatching the letter from me and holding it out in front of the Firelord. "You have a spy, Firelord Ozai, and he made it into my rooms. Which leads me to believe it's either a guard or someone the guards are familiar with, because I doubt the would let Hahn into my room, let alone the palace."

Ozai took the parchment, reading it and handing it off to his companions to read. "So it would seem," he mused, watching Katara carefully. "And what do you propose we do about it, Katara?"

She frowned, glaring at the Firelord while Iroh looked rather interested in this conversation. "Acting as detective for a matter concerning your citizens is not my responsibility, Firelord. But, please, do let them know that this water bender isn't going down without a fight." She turned on her heel, storming away, leaving the four of us in a stunned silence.

Well, stunned for me. The other three looked rather amused.

"I would say, brother, that she has enough spirit to be worth listening to?"

Ozai's lips lifted in a slight smile. "Perhaps, Iroh." His arm slipped around Ursa's waist. "You were right; she has a bit of fire to her. Too bad she's spoken for." He winked at me, leading his wife away while Iroh stayed put.

"Aang," Iroh sighed, glancing the direction Katara had gone. "That is the Katara we need to see more of. Where has she been hiding?"

I didn't have an answer for him. I didn't think I would. She's always been there, slumbering until the right moment to come out.

* * *

Katara's doors were back in their locked position when I returned to our hallway. I stood in front of them, staring at the ornate patterns, debating if I should knock on them or not. With a sigh, I gently rapped my knuckles against the wood. "Katara?"

No reply.

I didn't like her being in there alone, not after what happened. I didn't trust she was safe anymore. "Katara, if you need to talk, I'm here."

Again, nothing. I sighed, leaning my forehead against the frame. I couldn't describe the feeling in my chest, a mixture of fear, love, concern, hate, a melting pot of all of them, perhaps. All I wanted to do was talk to her but her silence said that wasn't happening right now. "Just," I paused. "Just let me know if you're okay and I'll go away."

"I'm fine, Aang!" She yelled and something slammed against the door.

I didn't say anything after that, I simply walked away. Nothing I said right now would change anything.

* * *

Dinner was taken in relative silence, other than Zuko and Azula being filled in on what had happened this afternoon. Azula was furious and demanded to be in charge of interrogations, which was permitted. Zuko asked to join her but Ursa and Ozai refused to allow him to do so.

"You have a party to be concerned about, Zuko," his mother soothed. "You have a speech to make, remember?

I stopped listening after that. I was too concerned over what had happened today. After lunch with Iroh, I been in my room all afternoon, meditating. I'd heard Katara's footsteps when she left and returned to her room, how did I miss the footsteps of an intruder? Unless they'd come in when we were practicing. But wouldn't Katara have visited her room between practicing and her fitting? And why weren't her fittings in her room?

My eyes flicked to Azula, who sat across from me, eating her food while conversing with her father and uncle. Why was she insistent on Katara being with her today?

Before I had time to even consider asking such questions out loud, the room was silenced by a figure walking into the room and silently taking a seat beside me. I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief to see her.

"Good evening, Katara," Ozai greeted, smiling softly.

"How're you feeling, dear?" Ursa asked, gesturing to the attendants to make Katara a plate. "We've been worried about you."

"I'm fine," Katara replied, her timid smile gone, replaced with one that appeared to be genuine. "A little shaken but I'm not going to let a coward's threat prevent me from enjoying myself. However, I've taken the liberty of sending a message to my father, I want to know that he is safe."

I sucked in a breath, Hakoda was the only person that'd known where we were headed. Spirits, I hadn't even thought about what could have happened to him.

"I've also suggested the South take precautionary actions against the North. With how much they've infiltrated our city, there isn't much they can do. But attempting to limit their resources should help at least a little."

I glanced to Iroh, who had a very pleased look on his face. "Very good, Katara," Iroh nodded, glancing at his brother. "Perhaps we can send some resources to your family to help."

Ozai nodded. "Indeed. I'll also send word to Lu Ten in the North. If we're officially supporting the South, we need to pull out our Northern ambassadors, we'll contact your brother as well. I doubt he's safe anymore."

My jaw clenched, I hadn't thought of how our actions might impact Sokka, and from the look on her face, Katara hadn't either. "They've hardly had a week to get a message to the North, they can't have done anything to him yet," I promised, squeezing her hand.

"He's right," Zuko assured. "Messenger Hawks are by far the fastest form of communication out there, and even they take a few days over long distances."

Before she could reply, Ursa interrupted. "Everything is going to be fine, Katara. Your brother will be here with you in a few weeks' time and you'll feel much better, I assure you. I always feel better when my family is near me and safe." She cast a loving glance in Ozai's direction. "Now, we can finish this discussion later, it's not very appropriate for the dining hall."

* * *

Katara excused herself swiftly after dinner, disappearing into the garden before I could stop her. I sighed, watching her round the corner with a determination in her step. Zuko's hand fell on my shoulder and he gave me a sympathetic smile.

"She just needs time, Aang. She's had a stressful day."

"All the more reason to need me."

Azula shook her head as she passed. "No, all the more reason to be on her own. She doesn't need you Aang, if anything she's being an independent woman and that's not a bad thing."

I glared at her, wanting to shout and scream but I let it be. If Katara needed me, she'd come to me.

The remainder of the evening was spent with the prince and princess and their significant others, constructing last minute details to the party being hosted tomorrow night. While it wasn't a wedding ceremony, Zuko and Mai would still have a dance together and Zuko would have to address the party in a boorish speech about love and how much he cares for Mai and how that'll translate to his love for his people. Mai looked rather amused by the whole thing while Zuko looked embarrassed. He was never very open with his emotions and having to proclaim his love in front of everyone would be a daunting task, to be sure. I definitely didn't want to be in his shoes.

I left them after a few hours, not necessarily tired, but not up for any more interaction, at least with them. I attempted to visit Katara but she didn't answer her door when I knocked, leaving me alone in my room, with nothing to do and eyes that wouldn't shut. Eventually, I gave up trying to sleep and sat up, lighting a candle and moving to the window that overlooked the garden, hoping to find some peace in the stars.

Instead, I found the nuisance of a noise meeting my ears, coming from a determined water bender, moving in fluid motions with the water that surrounded her. Had she been out here this whole time? It was well past midnight and dinner had finished hours ago.

"No!" she muttered in frustration as a stream of water fell to the ground. I sighed, leaping out of the window and landing gently on the ground several feet below, slowly making my way toward her.

"Katara?" She froze, turning to look at me, her eyes wide as if she didn't understand why I would be interrupting her. I nodded to the sky. "It's late, you should come inside. It's going to be a long day tomorrow; you need your rest."

Despite knowing I was right, she shook her head. "No, Aang. Not until I get this move."

I shook my head, placing a hand on her shoulder and gently lowering her arm. "We can practice more in the morning, you've been making amazing progress, Katara. You don't need to push it."

Her jaw set, eyes blazing. "Yes, I do."

"No, you don't," I repeated. "You'll learn with time, not overnight. It took me years to master water bending, you can't expect to master it in a few short days."

She shook her head, turning away from me and jerking her shoulder out of my grip. "You wouldn't understand, Aang."

I maneuvered around her, lifting her chin with my hand, forcing her eyes to look into mine. "Then please, help me."

More than anything, I wanted to understand her. I wanted to help her.

With a violent jerk, she tore her eyes away from mine, her chest heaving with the effort to stay calm. "You wouldn't understand because, no matter what, you are able to defend yourself. You know all four elements, if water isn't enough, you have air, earth, or fire. I have water. And right now, it doesn't feel like enough.

"War is coming, Aang. And I can barely defend myself. I'm learning and I'll be forever grateful for your help but I don't feel like I'm enough. I don't think I'll ever be enough."

A sigh escaped my lungs, as her words hit me. "A warrior has one specialization, be it a sword or a bow. No matter what he chooses, he is still a crucial member of his team. The same goes with you, Katara. Even still," I crossed in front of her again, taking her face between my palms. "You're intelligent, you're brave, you're stubborn and determined. You're so much more than water bending and you will always be more than enough. _Always_."

As my words sank in, her eyes found mine, and before I knew it, she lunged at me, her lips crashing against mine as her arms tightened around my shoulders. I froze, momentarily taken off guard by her actions before sinking into the kiss. My arms encircled her middle, holding her tightly against me as her lips parted, ever so inviting. A sigh escaped her lips, sending a shot of warmth down my spine and pooling low in my stomach.

In a flurry of motion, Katara's back was pressed up against the wall of the garden, her legs wrapping around my waist as I supported her, gripping her thighs while our mouths explored the lips and skin of the other. My heart was hammering in my chest and I was beyond sure she could feel it pressed up against hers.

I should have liked to know what would have happened next, except a small laugh interrupted us, and our kisses ended as abruptly as they began.

Across the garden, Zuko and Mai sneaking around, their lips locked together, getting one last moment of peace, before their lives became everyone's business.

I silently swore, leaning my forehead against her collarbone. My shoulders fell and my chest heaved, lungs fighting for air to return to them.

"Perhaps we should go," Katara said softly in my ear, though her legs were sill wrapped around my middle. I nodded against her neck and slowly stepped away, letting her legs fall to the ground.

"We should probably get some sleep, too. Long day tomorrow."

Katara swallowed, nodding as I took her hand and quietly led her inside.

"Aang," she said as we neared her door. "I—I was wondering if I could stay with you?"

I quirked a brow.

"I don't feel safe in there, knowing that someone cou—"

I held up a hand, tugging her toward my door as I did. "I understand." Knowing that someone had been able to sneak into her room once must have been terrifying, especially knowing they could easily do it again. "I can sleep on the couch, if you like."

Her brow drew together, shaking her head. "Of course not. You can sleep in the same bed. They're ginormous anyway, what would it matter? But I have to get a few things from my room…"

I waited in the doorway as she gathered her things in her arms and marched across the hall, leaving me outside the door as she changed and only permitting me in once she was in the bed, nestled under the sheets. She was a curious woman, I thought, but I think that's what made me love her even more.

I slipped into bed beside her, keeping a respectful distance, though that seemed difficult after what had transpired in the garden.

"Aang?" she spoke softly, her hand reaching across the sheets in the dark. It found mine and she pulled it toward her slightly, her fingers lacing through them. "Thank you."

I smiled, leaning forward and kissing the back of her palm. "Anything for you, Katara."

* * *

**There's some apology fluff for ya. And I'm sorry to say that school starts back up this week, so updates might be few and far in between from here until May! I'll do my best though**

**Reviews are like Strawberry daiquiri's after a hard days work ;)**

**xoxo,**

**Em**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Avatar and the characters created by it are in no way owned by me. Though, I'm prone to taking some artistic license with them, oops.**

**So, school sucks and I've been avoiding homework like the plague. As such, you have this chapter. Which could honestly use a little more work but I was stuck on the end of this for probably three weeks, so I'm leaving it as is. And it's 4,000 words.**

** I'm not going to apologize for it. But, take note, it's not as exciting as I'd hoped. **

* * *

Every morning since I'd been freed from the iceberg, I'd made a point to remind myself what I was thankful for. Waking up after 100 years of sleep, missing all that I had, left me in a dark place and it was a way for me to cope. Early on, I was thankful to be alive and thankful that Appa was safe. and I was thankful for the water tribe's generosity. Later, I was thankful for the White Lotus and their hand in maintaining a semblance of peace in my absence. When peace finally came, I was thankful for that. There were a lot of things I've been thankful for and I've reminded myself of all of them in the moments between sleep and consciousness in the early morning.

This morning, as sleep slowly left me and I attempted to blow through the list, the only thing I could think to be thankful for was the mess of brown hair that rested under my chin, the tan arms wrapped around my middle, and the warm breath meeting my chest as Katara slept nestled in the shelter of my arms.

We'd fallen asleep with our hands intertwined and woke with our limbs intertwined, I couldn't help the soft laugh that escaped, making her shift against me, groaning irritably. As much as I wanted to stay, I was supposed to meet Zuko for a morning spar, he'd said last night he wanted to discuss something with me privately. Though, given how early it was and how late he and Mai slipped into the gardens, for some reason I doubted he was awake yet.

Unfortunately, just as I made the decision to stay in bed, the door swung open, Azula standing in the door way with an apple in her mouth. "Do you—" she spotted Katara and sighed. "Do you _two_ have any idea what time it is? The party starts in seven hours and you're still in bed? Zuko's waiting for you, Aang." She crossed the room, snatching my clothes from the chair they were folded on and threw them at me. "And you, Katara, were supposed to be up hours ago to eat breakfast with my mother and me."

Katara sat up, scowling. "No one informed me of that," she replied, standing slowly.

"Yes, well, if you'd made yourself more available, you'd have gotten a verbal message. Instead we left a letter on the table in your room. Since you're not sleeping in there, obviously you didn't see it." Azula rolled her eyes, turning away. "Come along, little water bender. There's much to do and you're already hours behind. I'll be back in ten minutes; I expect you to be ready."

She was gone just as quick as she came and Katara didn't look pleased. "She treats me like _I'm_ the princess."

I laughed, shaking my head. "To an extent you are a princess." The words were out of my mouth before I could even think to stop them.

She tilted her head as she gathered up her clothes, raising a brow. "Oh?"

I cleared my throat. "Well, yeah, your dad is the chief of the Southern Water Tribe."

"Being the daughter of a chieftain does not make me a princess."

I knew that, but being the girlfriend of the Avatar made her a person of importance. But, I wasn't about to say that. I refused to assume she was, it'd barely been a week since we'd left the South, and I didn't expect her to jump from one relationship to another. So, I shrugged. "There's a princess in the North, I'm sure she assumed there was a princess in the South."

Katara's eyes narrowed slightly before she mimicked my shrug and crossed the hall to dress.

* * *

"Earth to Aang!" Zuko's fingers snapped in front of my face as my eyes refocused on the task at hand, which wasn't much. We'd finished sparring minutes ago and now sat in the grass, cross-legged, talking aimlessly, which is likely why I zoned out.

"What?" I shook my head, rubbing my eyes with one hand as I groaned. "Sorry."

"Thinking about Katara?" Zuko asked with a knowing grin. "I heard about the compromising situation Azula walked in on."

Compromising? What exactly was she saying? "You should have paid more attention when you and Mai ran into the garden last night, you might have noticed it was already occupied."

Zuko's grin reached wider, and he had a look of pride in his eye as he slapped me on my shoulder causing a red mark to appear on the skin almost immediately. "Look at you, finally behaving like the rest of us miscreants. Did you finish what you started in your room?"

It took several moments to register what he said and even longer to comprehend his meaning. A look of horror flashed across my face and I shook my head violently. "We did not, and I wouldn't tell you anyway. It'd be disrespectful to her to brag about it."

He let out a huff of a laugh, rolling his eyes. Fire Nation people were less conservative with their views on sex, and the nomadic lifestyle of the air benders seldom meant settling down and having a family, that why many of us were raised in the temples. Even then, we didn't discuss anything that pertained to sex. Spirits, we hardly learned anything about what happened to our bodies when we grew up. At least, I didn't think we did. I left before I'd mine began to change and therefore didn't have any questions that needed answering. Even still, I'd have figured it out, just as I had here.

"If you insist," he finally said. "Anyway, none of that matters. You still haven't given me an answer."

"To what?"

His hand collided with my shoulder again and I groaned, rubbing it gently. "You must be really rubbish at keeping the peace if you can't pay attention to a simple conversation," he snapped. "I asked you if you'd be my best man at my wedding."

_Oops. _No wonder he slapped me, I think I might have slapped me, too if I'd missed something as big as that. "Of course," I replied with a smile. "I'd be happy to be there, Zuko. Are you asking anyone else?"

He nodded. "Lu Ten is going to share the role with you, just like Azula and Ty Lee are sharing the role of Maid of Honor."

Iroh's son acted as role model to Zuko from a young age, though he wasn't around much anymore since he'd taken the role as ambassador to the Northern Water Tribe. "Too bad he's missing your engagement party," I sighed, lying back into the grass.

With a small nod Zuko laid back, too "It is, but he'll be here for the important part. Father suspects they'll be home in a little over a week, Uncle Iroh is eager to see him, it's been nearly a year and a half since he last visited."

Journeying to either of the poles was no easy task, but it wasn't impossible. A year and a half seemed like a large gap, even for that distance. I bit down on my cheek as I contemplated this information, and what it could possibly mean. "Really? Why so long?"

The prince shrugged. "He says he's too busy. Father's call to action is the only time he's been given no other choi…" He flipped onto his stomach, glaring at me. "You suspect something, don't you?"

"What?" I practically sprang upright. "No!"

He tilted his head, eyes still narrowed.

Letting out an exasperated breath, I relented. "I think something about that seems strange, alright? Traveling that far only takes a week or so, taking a month out of the year to travel and see his family shouldn't be that difficult, especially if the north is being secretive! I doubt they had much to share with him or for him to act like a diplomat, so I don't see why he had to stay away."

He flattened out on the grass, closing his eyes, inhaling and exhaling slowly, keeping his temper in check with each breath. "I'm sure there was a reason, Aang."

"Maybe, but it still doesn't seem right."

Zuko's shoulders sagged, and he stood up. "I need to get ready, Aang. I'll see you tonight."

"Zuko…"

He held up a hand, waving me off. "It's fine, Aang. I understand why you're concerned. Katara was threatened yesterday, and you're worried. You'll jump to any conclusion trying to find a way to protect her, as I would for Mai."

He was right. I was digging for someone to blame for all of this; yesterday it was Azula, today it was Lu Ten. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend."

Zuko's hand braced my shoulder, a small smile on his face. "Don't worry about it, Aang. We'll find the spy and deal with them, you know how Azula is. Once she's set to a task there is no force in the world that will stop her."

The thought should have comforted me. But, for some reason, it left an uneasy feeling in my stomach. I knew she was capable, but I was so turned around that I didn't know who I could trust anymore.

* * *

That night, Zuko and I stood with his parents just behind the doors leading to the courtyard, waiting patiently for Mai, Azula, Ty Lee, and Katara to arrive before we stepped out as the royal family. My joining them was a formality, and while I'd have preferred to already be outside, I'd be lying if I said my heart didn't skip a beat when Katara came into the room, looking as amazing as she always does, perhaps even more.

Her dress was water tribe colors; a feat I didn't think they were going to be able to accomplish in so little time. The sleeveless top stopped about an inch above her navel and her skirt rested snug on her hips, hugging their curve and billowing out as the fabric traveled down her thighs. Her waist was decorated with a gold chain that dangled down the front of her skirt and various bracelets and cuffs adorned her arms. It was simple, as there wasn't time for intricacy, but she looked beautiful.

"Aang, close your mouth before we start aiming fire flakes for it," Azula laughed, pushing my jaw back into place as she passed, looking ever so satisfied with herself.

Katara's laugh filled the room, and the familiar warmth that filled my chest when she was near returned, rising up my neck and pooling into my cheeks. "You look beautiful, Katara," I managed, and she smiled, gently placing a hand on mine and whispering her thanks.

I wish I could say I remembered what happened next, but, truth be told, my eyes were fixated on Katara for most of the next few minutes. I was seated outside before I even realized what was happening, between Zuko and Katara at a long table hosting the wedding party and the rest of them royal family.

Dinner was served almost immediately, a vegetarian plate made for me, and Zuko and Ozai both made a toast toward the end, Zuko professing his devotion to Mai and announcing the date of the wedding as well as the wedding party. Ozai's speech was much more moving.

Silence fell as he stood, always a dominating presence. He cleared his throat, holding up a goblet of wine in his hand as he looked to his son. "My people," he began, "Today marks the beginning of the end of my rule. My son, Prince Zuko, has, _finally_, chosen a bride after several years of giving chase," he chuckled, pausing as he once again gazed upon the couple. "Zuko, in Mai, you have found what I found in your mother many years ago. You've found love and compassion, honesty and trust. I believe you two are a wonderful match and in the future you'll make wonderful parents. But, as with any relationship, there will be hard times in which you are faced with choices you never saw coming. As long as you make them together, I promise, you will live a long and prosperous life leading the Fire Nation. I could not be happier for you, my son. You've made me, so proud."

Zuko's eyes shined, perhaps with tears. "Thank you, Father."

Ozai's smile widened. "To Mai and Zuko," he boomed.

The guests echoed his claim and man downed their cup in one gulp. Meanwhile, I took a small slip and cringed at the bitterness. Alcohol was never a drink I drank liberally, always small sips here and there, dumping it in potted plants as stealthily as I could. Once, when I was here to master firebending, Azula had managed to convince me to try more than I am willing to admit. The next morning, I awoke in the garden with a throbbing headache and lacking a shirt. I hadn't remembered anything from the night before and I swore it would never happen again.

"Who is that, Aang?" Katara asked a short while later, pointing to a man that was approaching the table. His smile looked pleasing but his eyes looked calculative, leaving an unsettling feeling in my stomach as he leaned against the table, one hand on his hip.

"I hear congratulations are in order…"

My eyes narrowed, instinct taking over. Not only were his words disrespectful, but the way he carried himself among the royal family was not that of a respectful subject, but of someone who thought himself superior.

"Admiral Zhao!" Ozai exclaimed, oblivious to any form of disrespect being silently displayed. I found it odd, the Fire Nation people firmly believed in showing respect to their leaders and Ozai would quell such insolence instantly. Why didn't he now? "What a surprise! Aren't you stationed in the Earth Kingdom?"

If possible, my eyes narrowed even more. The Fire Nation was sent to help rebuild the Earth Kingdom under strict supervision and that was nearly ten years ago. Zhao and other fire nation people should have been long gone from the continent and the colonies.

Zhao smiled. "I'm on leave, King Kuei sends his regards, however. He's very pleased with the reconstructions efforts you're having my division help with along the Serpent's Pass. It's much safer now that we've been patrolling the waters. The sea serpent might be finally dealt away with."

Serpant's Pass was a deadly lake used by refugees during the war to get into Ba Sing Se, now it was hardly used to get to the city, since it was considered to be too dangerous to warrant continuous passages. There were other ways into the city now that the Fire Nation wasn't feebly attempting to lay siege to it. Why was were firebenders patrolling the waters? And, why were they hunting the sea serpent? Didn't they know the potential catastrophe that could result?! It protected the waters just outside the city, for all they knew it was spirit stuff!

"Wonderful," Ozai replied, gesturing me over. I slowly joined them, the unease in my stomach hardly settling. "Zhao, this is Avatar Aang. I'm sure he'd be most interested in what you have to say about your progress in the Earth Kingdom."

I smiled politely, bowing in greeting with my hands folded before me. "It's an honor to meet you, Admiral." I straightened, certain my eye was twitching as I held his gaze. He didn't return the formal gesture, merely staring at me, his eyes calculating.

Slowly, his eyes shifted to Katara, who had followed me to the Fire Lord's side. "It's a pleasure to meet the Avatar and his girlfriend. I trust you are enjoying your stay?"

Ozai's interest in the conversation dissipated as Ursa whispered in his ear, slowly tugging him away and toward the dance floor.

I nodded, my chest tightening as we were left alone with the admiral. "I've always enjoyed myself in the Fire Nation, Fire Lord Ozai and his family have always made me feel welcome."

Katara's smile never wavered. "They've been very generous to us, and I am enjoying my time spent with the family."

"Really?" Zhao inquired, leaning a little closer. "I heard you had a rather frightening day yesterday."

Her smiled turned taught, and her grip on my arm tightened. "Surprising, maybe," she replied, a challenge in her voice. "But I'll not be frightened by a coward who can't send his threats in person."

"I see." He shifted in his stance, purposefully attempting to tower of Katara. "Is that why you stayed with him last night?"

I forced myself between them, my chest a mere inch from his. "How Katara and I spend our nights is none of your business, Zhao. You are out of line."

He took a step back, his face as neutral as ever. "My apologies, Avatar; I meant no offense." Neither of us replied, although I did note that his apology wasn't directed at Katara. "Enjoy your evening," he added as he stepped away, disappearing into the sea of tables to socialize with other guests.

Katara leaned against my back, her cheek resting against my shoulder blade as her hand found mine and her other slipped around my waist. "Aang…you don't think…"

Zhao's words were a threat, that much I knew. His knowledge of what happened last night was meant to unsettle, and, if I was honest, it was unsettling. But I wasn't going to let that stop myself and Katara from enjoying this night. Too many things had been happening the last few years for it to be marred by his intimidation tactics.

With a sigh, I turned to face her, meeting her worried blue eyes as they looked up at me. Despite the blatant worry, her eyes still looked at determined as ever. "We'll worry about it later, Katara. Let's enjoy ourselves for now. Maybe even try some of that wine Azula's been hoarding..."

* * *

A few hours—and at least three glasses of wine—later, Ursa, Ozai, and many of the older guests had retired for the evening, meaning the music had picked up its pace, and the younger guests were spinning around the dance floor, either by themselves, in a group, or with a partner. Zuko and Mai were in the center, twisting around each other and leading the traditional Fire Nation dances as they were done, though, as the night wore on and more of the parents slipped away, formality was tossed aside and the lewder behavior commenced, chaos reining under the full moon.

Katara ebbed on the side of the dance floor as the night began, her eyes finding to the admiral as he drifted through the guests. Despite the Fire Lord and Lady retiring, he remained, a constant presence that made the water bender uneasy, even with the amount of wine coursing through her veins. She seemed hardly affected by it, meanwhile I was feeling slightly disoriented, enough to know that I wasn't sober anymore but I wasn't quite drunk yet.

Still, it was enough to let loose.

Zhao finally left, and Katara moved to follow him through the maze of tables. With a frown, I escaped my place on the dance floor beside Azula and Ty Lee and followed after her, grabbing her wrist as soon as I neared. "Katara, no."

"Let go of me, Aang." She tugged but her wrist was firmly secured in my grip. I wasn't going to let her do something foolish.

I shook my head. "What are you doing? Following him?" She said nothing, so I assumed that was her plan. "And then what? What if he led you into a trap? You're barely learning how to defend yourself with water bending, you can't take on a fire bending master. You'll get hurt, or worse."

She sighed, glancing in Zhao's direction before finally nodding, and letting me lead her back to the festivities.

"Thank you," I breathed, my shoulders relaxing as I gently tugged her back toward the party.

She let me pull her onto the dance floor, swaying slightly, though her attention was still on the direction Zhao had left. With a sigh, I lifted her chin. "Katara," I exhaled, my thumb tracing gently along her skin. "We'll worry about it later. Take a break for now, have fun. _Enjoy _yourself."

She shook her head. "I don't think I can, Aang. I'm sorry, I think I'm going to go to bed." She pulled away and pushed past me, and even in my slightly hazy state, I knew better than to leave her be. I didn't think for a moment that she'd stay out of trouble.

So, naturally, I followed her. Much to her irritation.

"I don't need a babysitter, Aang," she snapped as she stormed into the palace. "Go, have fun with your friends. I won't stop you."

"Katara…"

"No! Aang," she cried, coming to a sudden halt and turning toward me. "You heard what he said. He knows something. He could be working with the North!"

"Or he could have an informant in the castle." My hands found hers, and my thumbs stroked the rough, weathered skin they found. "We don't know, sweetheart. And you told Ozai you wouldn't investigate."

Her fierce eyes softened briefly before the fire returned. "I know, I said I wouldn't. But I'm telling Azula about him first thing tomorrow, and then I'm offering my help."

I sighed, slowly nodding. "If you think that's what's best, fine. But, please, Katara, don't do anything that's going to get you hurt. If you attack Zhao, the Ozai is going to be obligated by his people to hold you accountable, and that'll lead to an all out war between the Southern tribe and the Fire Nation. We're playing a game of politics now, Katara. Each move needs to be calculated and well thought out. Not something made on an impulse!" Id tried to remain calm, I really had. But her recklessness was eating at me. This wasn't like her at all.

My words were met with silence, and her gaze drifted toward a window overlooking the courtyard. She slowly moved toward it, leaning against the frame as her arms crossed over her middle. "Maybe I was being impulsive," she finally murmured. "Following him would have gotten me in trouble, you're right about that. But I can't do nothing."

Below us, music filled the courtyard and party guests could be seen engaging in all kinds of behavior, Azula and Ty Lee were sneaking off and Zuko and Mai were still in the middle of the dance floor. Each couple was oblivious to our absence.

Hurried footsteps interrupted my response and a servant sped into the hall. "Avatar Aang," she gasped, out of breath. "Your presence is requested in the throne room immediately."

I frowned. "Why?"

"A visitor from the Water Nation has arrived."

"Sokka?" Katara gasped.

The servant shook her head. "No, Sangok of the Northern Water Tribe,"

What?

I swallowed and nodded. "I'll be there shortly," I replied and the woman took her leave.

"Aang," Katara's hand gripped my forearm. "If they're already here, what does that mean for Sokka?"

* * *

**DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUN. On that note, I have quite the treat for you next chapter!**

**Reviews are like Snickers Ice Cream bars after an awful midterm. **

**xoxo,**

**Em**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Avatar and the characters created by it are in no way owned by me. Though, I'm prone to taking some artistic license with them, oops.**

**Shout out to Ashley for reviewing practically every chapter and totally making my day while doing so! Here's the next chapter, and I should warn you, there are some lewd comments later on, I don't think they're too bad, but some people might not like them. **

**I'm honestly so excited for you to read this! I had so much fun writing it, honestly, it was nice to get a break from Aang and Katara.**

**I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

The Northern Tribe started out as a really cool place. Yeah, I was jealous of how beautiful it was compared to home, but if you asked me, us southerners had way more character than the stiffs that lived up here. Everything here was so prim and proper, it was suffocating for people like me and my tribe. I mean, they wouldn't even teach Katara how to water bend! She beat the pants off all the other healers, but she would have made a better warrior, there's no doubt about that.

Still, it had its perks. Like Yue.

Mmm, Yue.

She's the best thing about the North. Possibly the only good thing about the North. She makes this spy mission worthwhile. Still, it's hard not to tell her what's going on. Arnook thrives on keeping her in the dark, honestly I think it's because he thinks it'll keep me in the dark. Nuhuh. I'm way too good for that. He doesn't realize that there are southern sympathizers. They contacted me less than a week into my visit and we'd been meeting regularly ever since. Well, we were.

Things got a little bumpy along the way. There was a double agent. Or a triple agent, if you think about it, since they were pretending to be for the north while pretending to be for the south when they really were for the north. I dunno. It gets complicated.

But that's beside the point. The point is that a few weeks ago, I was at a meeting with these guys plotting how to sabotage the ships being sent south when the door was kicked down and we were all apprehended. Arnook was less than pleased to discover my treachery, but what hurt the most was the look on Yue's face. I tried to explain that I loved her more than anything, but she wouldn't listen. It's been weeks since I've seen her, I've been locked in this cell for weeks, forced to write letters to my father saying everything is fine. I've been encoding them. Honestly, I'm surprised they haven't come and gotten me yet.

Oh, well. I knew I'd have to be patient.

I just didn't expect the Fire Nation ambassadors to be helping me before my dad.

According to my tally marks in the wall, it'd been a month since I was thrown in prison when Lu Ten appeared in my cell. How he got in there, I still haven't figured out, but he managed it. Somehow.

"Good evening, Sokka," he said, his voice doing nothing to hide the fact that he was there from the guards. Was this guy an idiot?

"What do you want?" I shot back. While I had plenty of time to sleep, I still didn't appreciate losing sleep time. Never mind the fact that we'd never gotten along. Half of me feared he was here to kill me.

Only if I had my trusty boomerang.

The corner of his mouth lifted into a smirk and he held out a note. "It's from my uncle," he said as he shoved it into my hands. "And your sister."

"_What?!" _

His smug look was enough to make me want to smack him but I managed to refrain. Barely. Mostly because I was shocked to see he was telling the truth. What in the world happened?

"She ran away from her fiancé," Lu Ten supplied. "And essentially sparked a civil war in the Water Nation. Hahn isn't pleased to have been made to look like a fool and he views Katara's disappearance as a deliberate kidnapping posed by the Avatar."

"Wait, _Aang_ is involved?" Naturally, those two would do something to start trouble. Honestly, I could have predicted this from day one. Katara was in love with him from the moment he left the south and it was clear he felt the same way. But nooo, Katara had to lie to herself because she refused to wait around.

Never mind the fact that after she turned sixteen, Dad and I wouldn't have stopped her if she got on a boat to go after him. Heck, I'd have gone with her. I'd have enjoyed it. I kinda missed him.

"Of course he is. The world has been unbalanced for over a century. His peace meetings years ago did little to fix the problem. His destiny is to fix the problem, not throw a bandage on it."

There really was no need for this attitude. "Alright, what does this have to do with me?"

The man sighed, snatching the letter from my hand. "Well, clearly you didn't read it all or else you'd know that I've been charged with retrieving you and bringing you to the Fire Nation. Your sister and the Avatar are there, waiting for you."

What.

That meant leaving the North. That meant leaving Yue. I'd disappear and she'd continue thinking I was only using her to get close to her father. Which, was a perk admittedly but I loved her anyway. I couldn't leave without her knowing that.

"You should really stop thinking out loud."

My eyes narrowed. "Well, since that's out in the open, do you think you can deliver a letter to her?"

His arms crossed over his chest, eyes narrowing. "Are you going to come quietly if I don't?"

I shook my head. "I think I'll make quite a ruckus if you don't."

His shoulders sagged in defeat. "Fine, write it and I'll get it to her. My men and I are devising an escape plan for you, I'll be back tomorrow with the details."

"Sounds good." I pulled the letter, already written, from my pocket and handed it to him. "What? I've had this hoping she'd come down here."

He shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Love makes fools of us all."

"It does. But it makes us better, doesn't it?"

He left in silence, slipping out the door and locking it in place.

* * *

To keep my cooperation, my imprisonment was fairly relaxed. Yes, I spent most my time in the cell, but I was allowed books, games, and walks around the city while heavily supervised. I think their ultimate goal was to make it look like I wasn't a prisoner. They even let me free when we had Southern visitors, all in an attempt to make it look like things were still functioning normally.

Except they weren't.

Honestly? What bothered me the most was that they threatened Yue if I wasn't feeling compliant. I didn't think her father would ever let them hurt her, but I feared they would. Enough to actually do what they said. Sadly.

Though, giving them some grief was still enjoyable.

I was in the middle of that, actually, running around the recreational room, evading them when a figure appeared in the door way, sending all of us into a screeching halt.

"Leave us."

"B-but Princess Yue…"

"Leave us!" She repeated.

And then we were alone. And my heart was sitting comfortably in my throat.

"I got your note," she said as she tugged it out of her sleeve and tossed it onto the bench in between us. Her head slowly began to shake. "That's a lot of accusations, Sokka. You can't expect me to believe all of that."

"Yue, please," I managed, swallowing my heart back into it's rightful place. "I know it's a lot to take in, but I've never lied to you."

Her arms crossed over her chest. "Yes, you did, Sokka! You were using me to spy on my father."

"I was spying, yes. But I wasn't using you, Yue."

"You expect me to believe that?"

Of course I didn't. She wasn't going to believe an outsider over her tribe, I wouldn't have. Though, I didn't trust that Lu Ten would get my note to her, but he came through like a champion. I guess that means I was leaving with him.

"Would I have written you if that was the only reason I was with you?"

That one got her. Watching her eyebrows knit together in frustration made my heart crack just a little bit. She was so beautiful when she was frustrated. And she must have been especially frustrated because she looked especially beautiful.

"Yes. No. I don't know, okay? Sokka, this is a lot for me to process. I can't imagine my father would ever be this cruel to our sister tribe!"

"He hasn't been cruel. He's been selfish and controlling. The Southern Tribe has been ready to function on its own for years, and your father is only sending down more and more troops to keep the South from gaining their independence. He's turned himself into a dictator, Yue, and that's not a role he can keep for long. Governing two completely different cultures is only going to result in tension and strife. I'm trying to keep that from happening."

"What good does spying on my father do? You're not actively fighting against anyone, and if you did have anything worth reporting, it would get there around the time anything my father said would! Besides, they could intercept it anyway!"

"Which is why I got into business with the sympathizers. They had contacts that could get messages to my family within days of hearing about it. I've been here for ages and nothing went intercepted. And I helped my father. He was able to hide things from Hahn that he otherwise wouldn't have been able to."

Her eyes closed and she slowly sank onto the bench in the middle of the room. Without any supervision, I was able to sink right down next to her. "I only did what would help my family."

"Am I not supposed to be a part of your family now, Sokka? I'm you're betrothed, after all." She asked softly with tears brimming in the corners of her eyes.

The walls shattered. The world came screeching to a halt and dropped out of it's orbit around the sun and everything turned into a black abyss. I couldn't stand it when she cried, a fact she knew, but I didn't think she was using this as a method of manipulation. No, she was generally very upset. But, Yue didn't cry when she was sad. She cried when she was frustrated. She cried when she was confused.

"You are, if you'll still have me." I took a hesitant step forward and another when she didn't step back. "Yue, you're the most important person in the whole world to me; I didn't want to do anything to hurt you, but I wasn't sure how you'd take me spying on your dad. I didn't want to involve you in any of that. You love your dad and think the world of him. I wasn't going to take that from you."

She sniffles, sitting down on the bench and looking down into her hands that were folded gently in her lap. "But I love you, too, Sokka. If you had been honest with me from the beginning, I wouldn't be in the situation I'm in now."

"And what situation is that?"

She swallowed, lowering her voice so the guards likely listening at the door couldn't here. "Helping the Fire Nation break you out of prison."

WATER PRINCESS SAY WHAT?

"Shhh!"

Oops, apparently that was said out loud. "You're _what_? Yue, you can't, it's not going to be safe for you."

"Maybe not, but my father isn't going to let his water benders capsize your ship if I'm on it. He won't let anything bad happen to me. And the only man that would ignore his command left the city three days ago."

"Who? Sangok? Why'd he leave?"

Yue sighed. "A lot has been happening, Sokka. Hahn sent word that the Avatar attacked him and kidnapped Katara to the Fire Nation. Sangok is going to plead the Northern case with the Fire Lord and gain his help. Maybe even save Katara."

"WHAT?!"

"If you keep screaming like that, they're going to drag you back to your cell."

How can she expect me to be doing anything but screaming? Aang wasn't a kidnapper and the Fire Nation adored him. They weren't going to fall for the Norths tricks, I didn't know how they even thought they could convince them of Aang's treachery.

"How's my dad?" I finally asked, my voice staying at a normal level, though it took all my effort to keep it there. "Did he go with them?"

She shook her head. "I heard he stayed behind. Hahn is very upset with him, he claims he helped Aang kidnap her and stayed behind to feed him a silly story about their eloping."

"WHAT?!"

"Sokka!"

"What do you expect, Yue? You're throwing all this new information at me and it involves people I care about. You can't expect me to take this news calmly!"

Her fingers gripped the fabric of my sleeve tightly, giving me a small shake as she level a fierce glare at me. "No, but you need to be quiet or more people are going to show up and make this prison break harder."

I'd have screamed again but she covered my mouth with hers before I could even think of it.

Man, I loved this woman.

* * *

Apparently, the first part of the plan was to get me separated from my guards. Check.

Second, wait until nightfall. Check. (Not sure how we got away with that one).

Third, get my stuff. Check. (BOOMERANG I MISSED YA BUDDY.)

Fourth, get rid of the guards. Check.

Finally, we needed to commandeer a boat. Pending.

Lu Ten has successfully sent the guards elsewhere (personally, I think he whacked them on the head and hid them in the closet, but I wasn't going to judge since I was finally getting out of prison) and now, Yue, myself, and a few others from the Fire Nation were sneaking around the Northern Docks. I had many questions, like how we were going to get through the giant ice wall that kept people in and out of the north, but I figured they could do their thing and I'd just be along for the ride.

Personally, I enjoyed the idea of them blasting fire and melting it, but I had a feeling that'd be time consuming and we'd probably all get captured. Still, it was funny to picture.

"You're going to get us caught with all that snickering, Southerner."

I ignored him, no one was going to ruin my fun. Though, Yue's tug on my arm made me quiet a bit. I didn't intend to risk her safety.

"Here we are…" Lu Ten whispered and gestured us forward out of the shadows and into the moonlight.

I was the first to climb aboard, seeing as I'd be the most suspicious on the docks, but the moment my foot touched the deck, I was in alert mode, boomerang out and ready for action as the Northern water bending master, Pakku, was staring right at me. "Guys, we have a problem."

Lu Ten scoffed as he appeared beside me. "Put that away, he's helping us."

This time, I suppressed the urge to 'WHAT?' And merely made the face that went along with it.

"Any grandchild of Kanna is under my protection," he said, as if that explained absolutely everything. "This is my boat and I'm taking it to the South. Your grandmother would never forgive me if I left here without you. I'll be taking you to the Western Air Temple where a Fire Nation vessel will pick you up and take you the rest of the way."

"Gran Gran? Is she here?"

Pakku shook his head. "I'm afraid she left the North as soon as she heard of the storm that struck the South. She thought she'd be needed there. I promised her I'd follow her as soon as I took care of a few things. That means you, too, Sokka." He turned, looking out on the docks. "You'll hide below and if we're caught, I'll create a distraction to get you through those gates. Now go."

With a rather violent shove, I was ushered below deck and shoved, with Yue, into a cramped space between crates. "Shouldn't you be with them?"

She shook her head. "No, you and I stand out, Sokka. Lu Ten and his men are changing into Northern clothes right now, they're acting as his crew. I'm only allowed on deck if they're fighting my people and need me to get them to stop."

Silence fell as I absorbed her words. 'My people' she'd said. "You're becoming a traitor," I whispered and she flinched. "You're betraying them and your father for me."

"Love makes us do crazy things, doesn't it?"

It certainly did.

* * *

I wish I could say we made it out of there without a hitch, but about halfway through the gates, the alarm sounded that I was missing. And while I didn't get to see all of it, I saw Pakku in a tower of water and holding off a hundred men as he forced us through the rest of the gate and then somehow vault the gate and get back to the boat. Even in his old age, he was amazing. Water bending was amazing. It made me sad for Katara, because she didn't know how amazing it was.

They tried to pursue us but Yue's presence dissuaded them, instead they fell back and for days we watched the water, looking for people following us, but none came. I didn't like the look of that. I was sure the Northern tribe would twist it into us kidnapping her. They'd probably try to turn the Earth Kingdom against the Fire Nation and the South, blaming us for it. I just hoped Aang got there first. According to Lu Ten, it'd been nearly two and a half weeks since they'd arrived and I hoped that meant they were moving on soon.

Our estimated arrival time was two weeks, hopefully less if the Fire Nation boat was where it should be. Meanwhile, eight of us were cramped on this small ship with only one water bender that could force it to pick up speed. Days passed slowly because of this, after the first day we'd run out of things to talk about. I'd filed them in on what I'd been seeing in the North and they filled me in on their observations. None of them knew anything about Katara or Aang; it was awful. I hated not knowing if she was okay.

Yue was some comfort. Having her near brought a sense of peace to me, though I worried for her safety, she'd more than proved many times that she could handle herself. I was surprised, honestly, that a princess would let herself fall so low. Even now, instead of her dresses, she wore trousers with her shirt tucked in and a sash tied around her waist. We were getting into warmer territory and she'd shed her layers, looking absolutely marvelous. Honestly, if I hadn't already seen her naked, I might have been lustful.

That was inappropriate, sorry.

Our transport was there when we arrived to the Air Nation and we quickly switched ships, thanking Pakku for his help and sending him along with a few extra provisions. From there, we sailed for the capital and arrived in record time.

* * *

Being there was surreal. There was a palace escort waiting for us and we all filed into the carriage and it carried us up the volcano to the palace, where a man greeted us and escorted us to the throne room, where Fire Lord Ozai, Iroh, and Ursa stood, waiting to greet us.

Iroh immediately embraced his son, while the rest of us stood, and I searched.

Nowhere.

I didn't see Kata-

"SOKKA!"

I whirled and was promptly plowed to the ground by a blur that looked a lot like my sister.

"You're making a habit of that, aren't you?" While I hadn't heard that voice in years, I knew it was Aang.

Yep. The gang was all here.

* * *

**GIVE SOKKA SOME LOVE and tell me what you thought of the chapter in the reviews! You'll totally make this sleep-deprived college students day :)**


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